Riches and Rags
by Archway22
Summary: SET IN THE VICTORIAN ERA! ALL HUMAN When Rose runs away from her abusive home, she encounters a tall, dark, handsome stranger. He takes her in as his housekeeping. The problem is... they can't stand each other. Will sparks fly? Or will the class difference prove problematic in a world ruled by social hierarchy? WARNING: M rated scenes
1. chapter 1

**Author's Note.** **So this is the new story I had told you about on 'Overwhelming Darkness' (my other story).** **I've wanted to write this one for a while as I love the Victorian era, and especially love the idea of a Victorian Dimitri!** **PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK.** **So I know if I should continue with it.** **Please enjoy,** **E xxx** **_**

"GET THE HELL OFF ME YOU FAT BASTARD!!!"

But they continued clawing at me, trying to rip off my clothes.

The little short portly one snarled in response.

"You know you want it, Little girl.

I can see it in your eyes, you're practically gagging for it."

I tried for the life of me to get out of their grip, but the three men had me pinned up against the wall.

The tall, lanky one lowered his head, dangerously close to me ear.

I could feel his rancid breath as he spoke, and I wished to God that I had stayed at home.

No…. I didn't regret my decision to run away. Not with what mother planned on doing to me…

But this situation… it was less than ideal. It had been a week since I left my quiet little home town, and I was already struggling to make it in the busy bustle of the city, with just the small amount of money and measly few possessions I had taken with me.

His breath became heavy in his ear as he pressed himself against me, quickly becoming aroused.

"Don't try to fight it whore, you'll enjoy it all the more if you just spread those beautiful little legs of yours."

All three of them laughed. It was a dirty, heinous sound, that seemed to make my skin crawl, as if infected with some terrible disease.

"I swear to God if you so much as…"

"So much as what?..." The third bulky one asked. He scared me the most. I think I could have taken the other two, but this man was a beast.

His race was covered in ragged, filthy black hair, and his eyes seemed to glow malevolently, even in the dark of the alley.

The small lamp, at the end of the street cast a light shadow on his face, revealing a very ugly, very long jagged scar that stretched from the top of his left eye, right down to the bottom right of his lip.

He took a step forward, and hitched my legs up, pulling at my dress as he slowly lifted up the underskirt.

"... Do this?" He continued. He smirked maliciously, and I gulped, truly scared for one of the first times of my life.

The life I had lead so far… it meant I had to grow stronger, become tougher.

I was used to frequent beatings, periods of being locked away, starved for days, my mother and father took a strong dislike to me, ever since I could remember.

So, I had become stronger, more resilient. I found myself in situations similar to this quite often, men trying it on with me, and taking it too far.

But this time… I feared for my life. Or what my life would resemble after they did whatever they had planned to me.

I frantically kicked my legs out, longing for the reassuring contact of the cobbled stone ground, but his grip was too strong, and his huge, hairy hand continued sliding up my leg, I could feel his long, disgusting fingernails bite into my thigh, and I let out a moan in pain. One that I instantly regretted.

Something seemed to ignite in his eyes at the sound that escaped my lips, as they suddenly became black with lust. A soulless, frightening sort of black, and he became rougher with his exploration of me.

His hand reached my inner thigh, and just before he could go any further, a noise from the end of the street attracted all three men's attention. It was only a drunkard knocking over bin, causing it, and all of its contents to flatter loudly to the floor, but it was enough at that moment in time.

I used the opportunity to headbutt beardy, and when he dropped me to the ground, I didn't waste a second in trying to sprint off into the light at the end of the dingy, narrow alley, that led onto the main street, where I could scream and call for help.

But the found of footsteps followed, and a race ensued.

All three men bounded after me, and just as I neared the end of the street, the bearded man grabbed me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pinning me to the ground.

So. Godamn. Close.

I screamed as he tore at my corset, my heaving cleavage becoming more exposed as he ripped the flimsy, cheap fabric in two.

One of the other men prised my legs apart, and the final man pinned my arms.

I continued screaming wildly, tears streaming down my face as I realised I was truly trapped, like a caged animal.

I didn't know how even the Rose Hathaway bravado and logic could get me out of this one.

I felt one of the men roughly grab the exposed part of my breasts, just above the nipple, and he began squeezing it.

Another had fully lifted up my skirt, exposing the undergarments underneath.

The final man began licking my neck, the loud sucking noise as his tongue slipped over the soft skin repulsed me even more .

I didn't even know which man was which now, as they continued to assault my body, I was paralysed and couldn't open my eyes. The only thing that gave an indication to them that I was still alive, was the continuous stream of tears flowing down my face.

I thought I could hear a man clear his throat behind me. But I must've been mistaken. It quite possibly could've been the grunt of one of the scumbags assaulting me.

But no…. I heard the sound again, louder this time. And all three men stopped temporarily and must've looked up towards the sound.

A deep, well spoken voice spoke out next, and I soon realized it did not belong to any of the three men attacking me.

"I suggest that you step away from the girl, and scarper before I do something terrible to you. Leave now- it is the proper and gentlemanly thing to do."

All three men paused, and then a fit of laughter erupted amongst them.

"You…." The voice of the portly one sounded breathless from all the laughing, and struggled to string together his words.

"...you think that we would "scarper" and leave such a fine thing here.

After all, we wouldn't want such a pretty face, and pretty body being left here for anybody to take. That wouldn't be the "proper and gentlemanly thing to do" at all!" He said the last bit, imitating the posh, foreign voice of the man telling them to clear off, and it only made all three men laugh harder.

Without any sort of warning, the man flew off me and into the brick wall beside me. I squinted my eyes open slightly, but I could only see dark shapes on top of each other.

It looked like one of the was getting the shit beaten out of them.

The beating stopped, and I quickly shut my eyes again.

And I began to pray in my head.

'Please Lord help me now. I know we haven't always seen Eye to eye…. Okay. That's an understatement. But I also know you would not leave a poor defenseless soul to these predators here. Surely, you're not that much of a gigantic ars…."

My prayers, albeit somewhat unconventional, were interrupted by the sound of more fighting, as one by one, the men were pulled off me, and beaten within an inch of their life.

If they were even alive. I couldn't hear a sound.

What if… what if he had died, my saviour? Protecting me? How could I possibly live with the fact that someone sacrificed their life for me?

Maybe my father was right. I truly am a useless, worthless piece of shit, that only made everyone's lives all the more miserable.

"Wake up" relief that he was still alive flooded over me. The voice was sweet and soft at first, with hints of sympathy.

I remained still, although the immediate danger was over, the fear was still coursing through my veins from the situation a few minutes ago.

"I said wake up woman!" The voice was harsher now.

And wow what a voice. It was deep and sensual. Powerful and incredibly sexy. It seemed to be laced with a slight accent.

"Don't you dare confound me! I tell you to get up now. Don't you know who I am?!"

The voice became really angry, and despite me supposed to being grateful for him saving my ass and all, it brought out the fire in me.

"Gee, I guess with me having my eyes closed, I really ought to have figured out who the hell you are just by your voice" my words dripping with sarcasm.

I opened my eyes to continue to confront the man, and gasped loudly, all snappy retorts dissolved on my tongue at one glance at him.

Oh. My. Lord.

He was quite possibly the most incredibly handsome, striking man that I had ever seen in my life.

He was tall,and I mean really tall, and had the most beautiful, soft looking brown hair that fell to his shoulder.

I had seen men with long hair before, what with me being temporarily homeless and all… but he looked so much… different. He looked like a God with it. I suppose it helped that it was clean and perfectly kept as opposed to dirty and ridden with lice.

But it was his eyes that caught my attention, so deep and bottomless, and the way they pierced into me right now, it felt like he could see into my soul.

The rest of his face though, it was as if he had a mask on it. One that was stern, serious and hard to read.

His voice interrupted me, and I absentmindedly checked the side of my mouth for drool.

"I take it by your exclamation of surprise, that you do, indeed, recognise me."

My genius reply came "huh?" As I looked at him blankly. Smooth Rose. Real smooth.

"You mean you don't recognise me?! Lord Belikov of Mainstem Manner?!"

He looked at me in utter shock and I merely nodded my head in response.

Why and how was I supposed to know who the hell he was? I came from a quaint, poor little town, where the most exciting thing that happens is the annual butter churning contest. Which, I can tell you, is not as exciting as it sounds.

His face showed more surprise for a second, before quickly slipping back to that serious, deadpan mask of his.

"Then why on earth did you gasp when you saw me, woman?"

Ohhhh. Yeah. How to explain that I was completely taken aback by his astounding and awe inspiring good looks?

I decided to have a bit of fun with him.

"I was completely overwhelmed by your God-like looks, my breath caught as I took in your stunning beauty. Never before have I ever seen such blinding strikingness. The way the dull light cast upon you to… you look like an angel, my guardian angel." I looked up at him in mock adoration. Batting my eyelashes over dramatically, sarcasm lacing my words.

He didn't need to know it was true.

He gave a frustrated grunt in reply, and forcibly hauled me up to my feet, dragging me roughly by the arm towards the lit street.

I started to protest, and he just gave a look as if to say 'really?'

I stumbled over the cobbles, I felt completely weak and exhausted, but he continued at his ridiculously fast pace, looking straight ahead the entire time.

"Woah woah woah, slow down. Damn man. We don't all have crazy long ass legs like you!"

He didn't look at me once.

"Do you always use so many profanities? Didn't your parents ever teach you manners?"

I scoffed loudly. "As if, my parents were the ones I got it from. Besides, some men find it sexy."

He glanced down at me, and I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.

He snorted in disdain "Most men with any sense of class do not find it attractive, I can assure you."

Wow. Harsh.

Wait a minute…..

Where the hell was he taking me?!

I began to panic…. What if he knew who I was, and my parents had employed him to bring me back?!

I struggled against his iron grip, and had just got loose when he grabbed my forearm again, pushing me towards him.

"What on earth are you doing Miss?! You think I plan to bring you harm? Pray tell then, why would I save you from those foul men back there?"

The panic had turned my brain to mush… "you…. My mother…. He, my father. You can't take me back there! You can't! Please I beg of you!"

He looked at me incredulously. "What on God's planet are you on about? You don't wish for me to take you back to my manor for the night?"

"Your… your manor?" I asked dumbly.

"Yes. But only for the night, I do not wish to be associated with such…" he looked at me and turned up his nose in disgust "inferiority".

Yup. Definitely not hired by my mother or father.

Why the hell did I even think they gave that much of a shit about me?

But then the magnitude of his words hit home.

"So….wait a minute. You're just gonna kick me out straight after? You don't care what happens to me? You save my ass only to throw me back to the wolves again!"

He whirled around at me with such speed, it nearly knocked me off my feet.

"I DO NOT have to help you so far. I could have left you in that alley to get killed and abused.

This is a favour, and great one at that.

I suggest you shut that pretty little mouth of yours, and be grateful that my generosity has stretched this far.

I am not a patient man, and I advise you not to cross me."

His voice was so deep, so serious and formidable, that I merely gulped in reply and kept quiet.

I knew that he had done a lot for me tonight, and it was the first sign of kindness I had seen from anyone in such a long time. I suddenly felt embarrassed for the way I had behaved.

"Thank you." I said so quietly and softly, that I hardly recognised my own voice.

He glanced down at me again, this time in shock, his dark eyes boring into me, and for some reason, the intensity of it was too much, and I bowed my head, ashamed of the way I had acted.

"You're welcome" came his simply, short response. I looked at him from under my eyes lashes and smiled slightly, and I swear his eyes took a slight softness to them as he looked at me.

The moment was soon ruined, however, when a carriage pulled up.

A broad cockney accent sounded from the top of the carriage, where the drive sat, bowler hat on his head, with the horse's reins in his hands.

"Aaaah Sir! I was beginning to worry about you. I didn't like stoppin' for you to get out, and leavin' ya there on ya own. No, I didn't care for it very much my Lord."

"It is quite alright, Benson, I am evidently fine, and have rescued the woman without so much of a scratch. If you should be so kind as to take us back home now, the evening has been rather tiresome, and I wish to retire to my quarters immediately."

"Very good Me Lord. Pardon me saying so Sir, but what a beauty you have found tonight! No wonder those men did take a fancy to her! Blimey. Makin' me a bit hot under the ole collar it is Sir!"

I blushed furiously, having had quite enough attention from the male species, and Lord Belikov seemed to notice my discomfort and scolded him for his inappropriate behaviour.

"Must I remind you Benson, that I can quite easily replace you, there is no shortage of drivers I can hire to escort me."

Benson's face paled and he began stuttering out a form of apology, and I immediately waved him off and told him I accepted it.

"It is quite alright Sir, you are not the first man to have commented upon it.

I was not greatly offended, and do not wish you to lose your job over it."

I felt his stare on me, and I looked up, only to see his mouth gaping open, as he shook his head.

A small smile growing on the edge of his lips.

"So you can be polite when you want to be?" He muttered amusedly, to himself more than me.

I laughed "Perhaps first appearances are deceiving, my Lord" I said, winking at him.

This earnt me a light laugh from him, one that made my skin tingle and blush again violently.

"It appears so Miss, it would appears so."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

 **Hi, thank you SO SO SO SO much for all of your reviews, favorites and follows! I've been wanting to write this for ages, and feel so chuffed that it has got such a wonderful response.**

 **Please continue to tell me what you think of it! I love all of the reviews I have received, and I truly appreciate when people take the time to tell me what they think!**

 **Anyway, enough of me. Hope you enjoy this update :)**

 **Love,**

 **E xxx**

The small smile that had played on his lips disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. What was with this mask of his?

He returned to his serious self once more and I sighed.

He was still impossibly handsome with his 'mask', but his face had transformed into something striking with that small smile.

I wonder what he'd look like with a full blown smile on his face… one caused by me in a certain hot and heavy sorta situation.

ROSE! I chastised myself.

I barely knew him, yet already I was imagining him an I in post marital relations, without the marriage part!

I couldn't help the harsh laugh that escaped my lips when I thought about how my father would react. Or rather, how he would have acted up until recently.

Lord Belikov turned to me and gave me a questioning raise of his eyebrow. Cool.

I just shook my head as means of response, and he gestured for me to climb into the open carriage.

He held out his hand for me to use as support, and as I held it to hoist myself up, as soon as our hands met, I felt a pleasurable spark flash through my body, one that jolted me in shock.

I looked at him in surprise, and to see if he had felt anything too.

If he had, he didn't show it. And I felt strangely disappointed for some odd reason.

I lifted up what was left of my skirt as I made my way to the far end of the carriage.

I wanted to make sure that I avoided him touching me again, in case I felt that spark again.

He seemed to have the same idea, although I doubt it was for the same reason, as he positioned himself on the furthest side of the carriage away from me. Probably a class thing.

The carriage itself was spectacular. Elegantly decorated with some sort of light floral print etched upon the hood of it. I peered out of the little carriage window, my hair brushing wildly over my face as it hurtled forward.

"Wow" I gasped, in awe of the vehicle I was travelling in. The gentle rhythm as it bounced along the cobbled streets, was strangely soothing, and yet the pace at which we moved made the journey exhilarating too.

Curiousity piqued, Lord Belikov questioned "What is it?"

I continued staring out of the widow, the black shapes moving rapidly past me. The wind against my face was incredible.

"This-" I gestured my arm out to display the carriage. "- It's amazing. I've never felt anything like it."

He looked at me, raising his eyebrows again, man, I wish I could do that.

"You mean to say that you've never been in a carriage before?" He asked incredulously.

I shook my head in negation, "No, I've been on horseback before, but even then, that was only the one time. My family are extremely poor, and had no means of expanding their wealth. I have not experienced this sort of life before.

We live very modestly, and before now, I've never left the confines of my little home town."

He looked at me shocked again. "Why, pray tell, did you decide to leave now?"

I contemplated telling him, he was a stranger after all, and one I would never have the opportunity to see again after tonight. What harm could it do?

"My parents wanted me to do something. And I was not willing to do it."

I decided I wouldn't tell him much more than that, because he didn't really seem like the kind to care about my back story.

And I didn't want to see his reaction. If he knew, I had no doubt he would look down on me even more, if that was possible.

"What did they want you to do, and why did you decide to ignore your parents best wishes?"

He shook his head, "Such little respect amongst you kind."

He practically spat that last part, and I knew I had made the right decision in not telling him.

"If only you knew what they were trying to force me into…"

I muttered. The irony that he should chastise me for showing little respect to my parents, after what they did to me, was not lost.

He continued looking at me for answer, and when none came, he turned his attention away from me, and I continued looking out of the window for a while.

I closed my eyes and leant back against the carriage seat.

So. This is what freedom was. Well. It sure as hell beat sleeping rough and fighting off advances from drunkards and perverts.

The past week has been arduous, and it was a miracle I had survived. The cold bitter nights, and the aimless wondering in the day.

I had tried to get a job. But let's face it, there was only one option for women like me; a whorehouse.

And that was the whole reason I had ran away. So there was no way I would ever resort to that.

I had been sat like this for about ten minutes now, lost in my own thoughts, when I thought I could feel a pair of eyes on me.

I noticed him staring quite blatantly at my exposed busum. His stare was so intense, that it was making me blush and nervous. Not in an uncomfortable sort of way, quite the opposite.

The way he looked at me threatened to bring up all sorts of feelings in me.

So I covered it up with the usual Hathaway sass.

I nodded to my breasts and smirked at him cockily.

"See something you like?"

He looked at me startled, breaking him out of his trance, and If his mask didn't slip on so perfectly and quickly, I would've been sure I saw a hint of embarrassment.

"Don't be foolish girl, cover yourself up and show some respect for yourself for god's sake."

For some reason, his response upset me terribly. Was it the fact that he called me a 'girl', or the fact that he looked down on me, and I knew he was ashamed of me?

Whatever it was, it stung. And I turned my face to look outside the carriage to make sure he didn't see my eyes water.

This was stupid. He was a stranger. And a bastard one at that. Why did I care what he thought?

I kept quiet for the rest of the journey. I was worried about what I would do after tonight.

I would go back to living rough again.

And who knows, maybe I won't be so lucky as to be saved like I was tonight?

I tried my best to calm myself. Put those thoughts at bay, and just enjoy and cherish the peace and safety that I would have tonight.

I had just began to doze off, when the carriage came to an abrupt stop.

"Benson!" Lord Belikov roared, making me jump out of my tired state from my slumber. The stop caused both of us to hurl forward, and him to hit his head on the beam across the hood because of his tall height.

"What have I told you about that?!"he bellowed, rubbing the spot on his forehead where he had smacked it.

I could hear Benson's voice come nearer, and soon enough he appeared by Lord Belikov's side of the carriage, and opened the door.

"I beg your pardon Sir, it's those blasted beasts, they may be a fine breed an' all, but they sure don't 'alf av' a mind of their own!

Back where I come from, we trained the horses good and proper. Sure they weren't as fancy as these, but they got the job done."

I smiled, his good and honest nature reminded me of Mason, once a dear friend of mine back home.

The smile soon vanished though as I thought about what happened to him. It would continue to haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Miss…." Benson's chubby and amiable face peered into the carriage, disturbing me from my unhappy thoughts and I happily took his hand, thankful for the distraction, as he helped me climb out.

Hmmmm. There was no spark. I was rather hoping it had something to do with the carriage.

I smoothed out my skirt, and looked up.

"BLOODYHELL!" I exclaimed, earning me another scolding from Lord Belikov.

"Watch your mouth! I will not tolerate such could language on my grounds!"

I looked at him and smiled meekly. Oops.

But I swore because of the sight before me.

The mansion… it was huge! It must've been atleast three stories tall, and was half a mile long, painted white. It had two elegant columns at the entrance, with vines wrapping their way around it as they climbed to the top, that stretched into an arch over the grand oak door. A long, perfectly kept green lawn lay before it, that seemed to stretch on for at least a mile, with hedges lining the path, cut in all sorts of different shapes. Spirals, domes, and even animals.

Even in the dark this place was impressive.

We strolled along the path for what seemed like an eternity.

And I soon became dizzy from exhaustion, after all, I hadn't ate in five days, and stubbled over the stony path.

I was just about to fall when he caught me around the waist.

There! I felt that spark again, and this time, he jumped too, as if he had felt it, and leapt back, leaving me to clumsily stumble once more on the path.

His handsome face took a stony, hard expression, and he kept his face forward as we continued our walk. Not stopping to help me as I tripped. Asshole.

We finally reached the front door, and a tall, though not as tall as his Lordship, blonde man stood there waiting for us to enter.

"Master Belikov, I am glad to witness your safe return, please enter, your family are waiting for you in the drawing room."

He took his coat off, and when his eyes landed on me and my sorry state, his eyes widened.

Lord Belikov hurried to explain.

"Castile, this is…" he looked at me slightly embarrassed. "I'm afraid I have not asked your name, how terribly ungentlemanly of me."

I scoffed at him. He could insult me and pretty much insinuate I was a peasant-whore beneath him, but forgetting to ask me my name? That was what bothered him about his behaviour.

For some reason, the paranoid, irrational part of my brain spoke before I could think. Worried that my parents could still trace me.

"Popple. Winifred Popple." I gave a slight curtsy, cringing at the horrific fake name I gave.

Winifred Popple? Where the hell did that come from.

He seemed to know it was a bullshit name too, as he rolled those beautiful brown eyes.

"Tell me your real nam- do you know what? I don't really care at this point in the evening, and it is not like you are important enough to demand me to know your name. I just wish to retire to my chambers."

"DIMITRI!" An angry shrill voice came from behind him. And an older, beautiful woman came from behind him.

She was dressed impeccably, much like Lord Belikov himself, and did, in fact, share many of his handsome features too.

This must be his mother.

She continued in a well spoken, accented voice.

"How dare you speak to someone like that! You have not been raised on a farm! Show your manners and address her with respect!" She turned to me and her harsh eyes turned kind in a flash. "I'm sorry dear."

"But mama, she will be gone by tomorrow!" His Lordship whined petulantly, and I couldn't help the smirk that grew on my face seeing him being knocked down a peg or two. This was entertaining.

"Gone by tomorrow?! In that state?! Look at her, she's a mess!"

Gee thanks. And I was just starting to like this woman.

"You cannot possibly cast her out like that, the poor girl!"

"I can, and I will! You forget that since dear Papa died, I am the man of the house, and as of such, I have the last say! I can just as easily cast you out too." he bellowed angrily.

I gasped, horrified that he would even consider doing that to his mother. I mean, I would have done to that bitch I call mine, but this woman seemed so sweet and caring.

You see, the men hold the fortune and title. If a woman marries a wealthy Lord, she may enjoy the pleasures of his wealth for as long as he lives, but after that, once he's died, the fortune is passed onto the male heir, and they no longer command the same influence or wealth they once possessed.

If they were lucky enough to have a son that gave a damn, they could depend on them.

But if they did not have one that cares, nor a son at all, they were as good as homeless.

It's a man's world

Messed up. I know.

Regret flashed in his eyes immediately. "I'm sorry mama, you know I didn't mean it. But I am tired and it has been a long day. I am in no mood to continue this further." He gave her a wooden kiss on her cheek formally, ignoring me completely, before climbing the long stairwell and disappearing for the night.

I stared after him scornfully, and felt a light pressure on my arm.

"Forgive him, my dear, in more stressful times, his father's ugly temper rears its head. More and more so recently" she said sadly, staring sadly after the spot he had walked off in.

"That's no excuse for him to treat you like an ass."

I realised what I had said to her, and blushed profusely, stammering out an apology.

She laughed merrily. "No, you're quite right, though I'm not sure I would've put it like that.

You are very alike to my youngest, Viktoria."

I smiled at her, she was lovely! I hadn't received this warmness from my own mother for the past ten and seven years, and I'd only known this woman for less than five minutes!

She smiled back at me, an excited twinkle in her eyes.

"Pray tell my dear, what is your real name? I doubt it is that Ludicrous one you made up earlier."

I laughed heartily and she beamed even more, "No, my name is Rose, Rose Hathaway."

She linked arms with me, "What a beautiful name for a beautiful creature!" I blushed again. I had never blushed as much in my entire life as I was doing tonight.

"No need to be modest my dear.

My name is Lady Belikov, but you may call me Olena. Now follow me, let's get you settled in here."

She began leading me down the long hallway, and I began to protest.

"But his Lordship said—"

"Oh hush child. He will not question me.

As much as he likes to think he rules the house, he is not as in charge as much as he fancies!"

I grinned again, I don't know what pleased me more. The fact that I had somewhere to stay (more permanently by the sounds of it) or the fact that Lord Belikov was being put in his place by his mother.

I had a feeling this was going to be fun.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note**

 **WOW! I have been so overwhelmed by the amount of support this story has got again! Honestly- each favorite and follow means the world to me. And the reviews... AMAZING!**

 **Thank you so so so so much to everyone that took the time to review, it genuinely pushes me to keep writing, and I love hearing what you guys think! PLEASE keep them coming, you have no idea how excited I get for them!**

 **I wanted to apologise for the delay, I had wanted to publish sooner, but I've been ill this week, and have not been able to publish the chapter as quickly as I had planned.**

 **Anyway... I need to put a trigger warning in this chapter...** **The writing in italics contains scenes which may be upsetting to some readers, as it features past abuse.** **There us also some (Kinda) explicit content later on... M-rated warning.**

 **Thank you so much again, and please tell me what you think of the story, and what you would like to see happen.**

 **Much love,**

 **E xxx**

* * *

Olena led me down the grand hallway, my feet sinking into the luxurious deep red plush carpet as we walked,

The walls were decorated a bright white colour, with elegant patterns etched in gold around the borders and edges.

Portraits, of what I assumed where the Belikov predecessors, lined the wall.

They were an incredibly handsome family, but there two faces that stood out to me, right at the end, but for different reasons.

I stopped in my tracks, to study the two paintings further.

The very last picture was the present Lord Belikov.

And my God, how handsome he was.

He had that stern, stoic mask on, his hair tied back at his shoulders, not one hair out of place. His face looked perfectly sculpted and chiseled, as if created by the Gods themselves.

He had a dark suit jacket on, and grey waistcoat, and my God, the way it clung to his body made my mouth water.

But it was those eyes, so deep and dark and captivating, that drew my attention.

It was as if he was looking straight at me, with such passion and intensity,and I could feel my heartbeat race, and much to my embarrassment, the spot between my thighs becoming wet with desire.

He was the most breathtaking creature that I had ever seen.

And it wasn't like the painting was purposefully trying to do him some favours...no.

He was just as good looking, if not more so, in the flesh.

What a shame he was a complete dick in real life too.

I then turned my attention to the other painting that had caught my eye, the one before Dimitri's; his father's.

The painting was remarkably different.

The man here had pitch black hair, and perfectly trimmed beard and moustache, he was quite striking too, but not in the same way as Dimitri… oh no.

This man looked pure evil.

Though the man did not bear much resemblance to the Lord Belikov I knew, it was his eyes that struck me as being the most different .

Where Dimitri had that impossible stoic mask on, but also had that fire in his eyes, his father's eyes looked….dead, and sent a shiver down my spine just looking at them.

They were terrifying, and seemed to add a whole great deal of formidableness to his character.

I remembered Olena's words coming back to me...

" _Forgive him, my dear, in more stressful times, his father's ugly temper rears its head. More and more so recently_ ".

I shuddered involuntarily. I was not easily frightened, but being on the wrong side of this man and his temper… well. One could only imagine what poor Olena had endured through the years.

And looking at the painting of Dimitri, it was difficult to see how those kind, passionate eyes could ever turn into those of his father's.

I hadn't noticed Olena some back to stand next to me. I expected her to shout at me for wandering off to my own accord, but she merely placed a small, delicate hand on my arm and sighed heavily.

"Yes, that fear is always with me." She shook her head sadly. "Dimitri has always been such a gentleman, but then… so had his father when I first met him.

It is hard to see how he could possibly turn into his father, but the likeness between them is becoming more apparent in recent years."

I stared at her, startled. She seemed to have read my mind and known exactly what I was thinking.

"He is not the kind, gentle man that he once was. Of course, his father had a great deal to do with that, he was a bully, and believed that Dimitri was too weak to take over his fortune."

We stayed there for a few moments more, before Olena seemed to shake herself out of her trance, and began leading me once more.

We turned corner after corner, climbed stair after stair, so by the time we stopped out of the many doors along one of the smaller corridors, I was breathless and sweating like crazy. Olena looked as if shed just had a massage.

It was embarrasing the fact that a middle aged woman was that much fitter than me.

"God, it's like a maze in here! How the hell do you know your way around a place like this?!" I asked, and Olena gave me a disapproving look.

"Rose, I have taken quite a liking to you, but please do not abuse my hospitality with such foul language. You are a guest in this house, and I want you to respect our rules."

I nodded, embarassed. "I'm sorry Lady belikov, please excuse my poor use of language, I was not raised in a household like this, I am yet to adjust to such social expectations." I lowered my head in shame, to avoid any further conflict.

My father had a large part to do with this.

At first, I had been more rebellious, part of the whole Hathaway fiery spirit that I'd inherited from my mother.

but then HE arrived. You see, he wasn't really my birth father... no.

I was the bastard child of a whore, and my real father left at the first sign of a baby bump, and neither my mother or I have heard or seen of him since.

Enter Stan.

At first, he was harmless enough, put on a good show for my mother, treated us to days out into the village, bought me small gifts.

But then he changed. He became violent. Violent towards my mother at first, but then I stood up for him once, and ever since then, my spirit has been slowly beaten out of me.

 ** _*Flashback*_**

" _You stupid whore! I know you've been sleeping around like the slut you are! You're filthy, disgusting, and I'm surprised you could find another man blind enough to ever touch you!"_

 _Stan roared furiously, and I peered round the corner timidly to see him pulling my mother's hair and slamming her head into the Grandfather clock. I had heard the shouting from my room again, but this time, I decided that I'd had enough. I couldn't stand back and let me mother get abused by this piece of shit._

 _I snook into the room quietly, they had their backs to me, so I attempted to use the element of surprise to attack Stan. I frantically searched around the room to find something I could use to attack him with, and my eyes were immediately drawn to something red and glowing to the left of me. The fire poker._

 _I picked it up at the handle, being careful not to scold myself, as it flashed a deep, angry red from the heat off the flames from the fireplace._

 _I tiptoed as quietly as I possibly could, positioning myself to launch a perfect attack on him, and I raised my arm to deliver a deadly blow to the back of the head..._

 _...except that never happened._

 _In a blurry flash, Stan had whirled around, snarling animalistically and baring his teeth in a sneer, just in time to catch my wrist and force it backwards with a loud and bone shattering snap._

 _I yelled out as pain burned through my wrist and shot up my arm, but that wasn't the end of it._

 _He yanked the poker out of my hand, and swung it at me. I managed to turn just in time to avoid it coming into contact with my cheek, but as I turned, it scolded the skin at the back of my head, on my neck. I screamed out in sheer pain as it burned and blistered my skin, almost melting the flesh with the intense fiery heat._

 _Tears streamed down my face... it was by far the worst pain I had ever experienced._

 _But Stan wasn't finished there. Grabbing my hair, he snapped back my head and began dragging me out of the room. I continued screaming an writhing in pain, but I was too weak and feeble to possibly match his strength, and when I tried to grip my head to pull away, my shattered wrist cried out in torture._

 _He continued dragging me, and I could literally feel chunks of hair being pulled out with the force._

 _I Didn't know where he was taking me, but I had a feeling it wouldn't be a pleasant surprise._

 _My eyes desperately glanced around the room, finally landing on what, or who rather, that I had been searching for; my mother._

 _"PLEASE MUM! HELP ME! GET HIM OFF ME! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!" I screamed at her, face red raw with tears and features contorted in pain. But she just stood there, eyes blank. I stared at her pleadingly, about to open my mouth to speak again, but I saw a slight movement on her part, that caused me to stop begging._

 _She gave a slight shake of her head, and turned away, turned her back on me, turned her back on her 12 year old daughter who had just been prepared to risk her own safety to protect her._

 _I gave once last astonished and heart broken glance at her, before I was dragged out of the room, and shoved under the small, damp, dark cupboard under the stairs, where Stan proceeded to lock me inside, and leave me there for the next week._

 _I had screamed and cried until my voice was so hoarse, no sound could come out. They didn't check on me, or rescue me, neither Stan nor my mother, and in fact, I heard them engaging in an adult activity no child should ever have to hear her parents do. Very loudly._

 _And I knew then that that would not be the first time that happened, and it wasn't._

 _I spent more time locked in that dreaded cupboard than I spent out of it. I had scars and burn marks adorn my body, from the frequent beatings off Stan._

 _And my mother?_

 _... Not once did she leap by my side to protect me. At first she just stood there watching Stan beat the crap at me until I could barely stand._

 _And then... then she began joining in_ , _and my life became the worst imaginable hell_ _on earth every single damn day for the next five years_.

 ** _*End of flashback*_**

I expected Olena to hit me, as I was used to receiving punishment for my wrong actions. I bowed my head and closed my eyes, waiting for it to be over with.

Only she never hit me. Instead, I was crushed in her arms as she wrapped me in her arms.

I stood there frozen, it had years since my own mother had shown any sort of affection towards me, so this was completely weird to me.

She sighed in my ear, "I'm sorry Rose, I should not have raised my voice like that, it's no excuse, but bringing up those memories of my late husband upset me considerably. "

She pulled back and stared at me as I stood there silently, wide eyed and shocked, "Look at you, poor girl. What on earth have you endured in this life to react like that? I would never lay a finger on you my dear."

I remained silent, and she smiled pityingly, and a little embarrassed. "You'll have to pardon me, I am told by my children that I am far too soft in this sort of society, but I can't help it, I don't want anyone to go through the pain that I have experienced."

She was such a kind woman, and after the years I'd endured at an abusive home, and then the week just passed fighting off groping men, she restored a little of the faith I so desperately seeked in the kindness of strangers.

I did something that shocked the both of us then, and I flung my arms around her, and said "No, I like that about you. You're sweet and caring, and that isn't something I am used to. Without you inviting me in... I don't even know where I'd be or how I'd survive. So thank you Lady Belikov."

She smiled warmly at me, apparently touched at my gratitude, "You are very welcome Rose, but please do remember to call me Olena, I insist." I smiled at her, and her eyes shone with unshed tears at my gratitude.

"Anyway, you must be exhausted from the night's events, let me show you to the room. I have to apologise, it is only very basic, but, you see, we are currently repairing the west Wing, where we accommodate our guests, and this is one of the few rooms we have left."

She then opened the door to my room, and gestured for me to take a look inside... and I could not for the life of me understand why she had apologised so profusely.

It was spectacular.

The room was dimly lit, with candles lit around the room, giving it a warm and inviting vibe.

The room itself was huge. Or atleast, it was in comparison to what I was used to.

It had old polished furniture, all matching from the same dark wood.

The floor was a bare wood, with a fluffy black rug in the centre of it.

My room back at home was tiny, and consisted of a mattress and my few possessions, or atleast it had done until Stan had taken it away from me. I had slept on the floor for the past three or so years, and thus the sight of the bed in front of me nearly made me faint. It was massive, much bigger than anything I had been used to. And it was covered in thick, deep brown duvets and cushions, that made it look incredibly comfy and cosy.

Without a second's hesitation, I ran into the room and threw myself into the bed, and let out an embarrassingly loud moan at the way my body sank into the soft bed.

I heard a chuckle behind me, to see Olena staring at me bemusedly.

I sat up straight remembering where I was, attempting to cross my legs in a relatively lady like fashion, endeavoring to present myself in a more mature manner.

I heard a chuckle behind me, to see Olena staring at me bemusedly.

She let out a loud laugh and muttered to herself, "We'll make a lady of you yet. Goodnight Rose."

And she just walked out, leaving me blushing there like an idiot.

But any feelings of mild embarrassment were soon forgotten, as I found the days, nay, weeks events finally taking its toll on me. The adrenaline flooded out of my body, and I allowed myself to succumb to the best night's sleep I'd had in years...

or so I had hoped.

 _I woke up to something hard pressing into my back. His hot and heavy breath smothered my body as he kissed me, trailing from my forehead, down my neck, and finally along my my exposed cleavage._

 _Dimitri flipped me roughly onto my back, so that we were facing each other._

 _"Open your eyes." His deep accented voice commanded, and I fluttered my eyelids open to see him on top of me. My breath caught when I saw his deep chocolate brown eyes staring lustfully into mine, and then follow the movement as I bit my lower lip nervously. A deep growl vibrated through his body, and he bent his head down to kiss me._

 _It was gentle at first, and the way his lips melted so perfectly into mine... It was incredible. Sparks shot through my body, and I felt myself growing wetter and wetter as he began to kiss me rougher and harder. His tongue traced along my lips, begging for entrance, which I eagerly allowed, and soon our tongues were exploring each others' mouths, stroking and caressing each other, and I could feel him growing harder and larger, pressing into my thighs._

 _I moaned loudly as I felt his throbbing hard member stroke my wet core, and I felt him gasp and growl animalistically._

 _"Take off your clothes." He ordered me, and I quickly obeyed, stripping my ragged clothes furiously, desperate to seek his touch once more._

 _He had turned around, taking off his own clothes too, but he stopped mid way, much to my dismay as I was enjoying the view, to stop and watch me strip._

 _At first his eyes portrayed a deep burning passion for me, one that rivaled my own for his, but suddenly, his face contorted into one of pure disgust and hatred._ _He backed away from me slowly, as if I had some dreadful disease he might catch._ _He looked repulsed, horrified, and I felt tears sting my eyes in confusion... What could I have possibly done to warrant such a cruel and extreme reaction?_

 _And then I saw his eyes trace over my body, and shudder._

 _I glanced down at my naked self, and suddenly, my skin revealed all of the ugly, heinous scars and burn marks I had collected from years of abuse and torture._

 _I attempted to explain myself, stuttering clumsily and pathetically, begging him to find me beautiful, to want me like he had before._

 _But he turned away from me, just as my mother had done when I needed her, just like everyone I knew had done when I needed them._

 _He started to storm out of the room, not before taking one last look at me, and snarling "No one could ever find **that** beautiful."_

 _And then he left, and suddenly all the rejection, all my self-loathing came crashing back to me, and I began sobbing uncontrollably, feeling truly alone._

 _That is, until I started shaking violently, and loud voices began shouting at me..._

... "Hey, wake up! You're scaring me right now! Stop crying like a little girl!" I was startled out of my dream, and I soon realized it was the small girl in front of me that had grabbed my shoulders and began shaking me roughly.

"My names Vika... you're Rose, right?"


	4. Chapter 4: The Belikovs

**Author's note**

 **So I got a couple of comments saying that I need to do my research and make sure I know the period well enough...**

 **I just want to clear up that I have been absolutely obsessed with the Victorian era... so I hope I know a few things by now haha.**

 **I've read several books including the entire Sherlock Holmes collection (four times), Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations and many more, to get a feel for the context of the time, and, because I'm from England, I've studied it at school and college, and I have researched things on my own, watched documentaries etc, because I adore that period in British history, and am absolutely fascinated by it!**

 **I hope that comes across with the story so far, I apologise profusely if it hasn't, and one of the aims for this story to portray the time, so maybe you all fall in love with it as much as I have done!**

 **All I can do is my best anyway, and hopefully, it's at least somewhat good enough, and you enjoy it :)**

 **Also- I have rated this story teen, as when I put it as M-rated, it completely disappeared! I will always put warnings though at the beginning of chapters, as I have seen other stories do this. if anyone knows how to help it would be appreciated.**

 **Sorry for the super long note this time, just wanted to make sure I cleaned up a few things.**

 **Thank you SO MUCH to everyone that has reviewed, and I will take all comments on board.**

 **PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING, I LOVE THEM!**

 **Special thanks to the 11 reviewers, users and guests!**

( ** _Pебенок шлюхи- Child of a whore_** )

 **With love,**

 **E xxx**

"What on earth?!" I exclaimed, still in a state of shock from the strange dream I'd had.

I had woken up to find a peculiar girl staring at me.

She was rather striking, and had the same eyes and hair as her mother.

She had said her name was Vika... and that rang a bell for some reason.

She gave me a kind smile and winked at me.

"I'm the youngest Belikov, and incidentally, the most beautiful, gregarious, and talented one."

Ahhh yes, this was the daughter that Olena had mentioned the prior night.

"You're...Victoria... right?"

She gave a dramatic curtesy, and I continued staring at her, bewildered.

"At your service ma'am."

She gave me a curious look, and said rather brutally, "You're not very attractive are you?"

I sat up straight, anger flashing through my eyes, and she seemed momentarily terrified of me when I let out a ferral growl.

Her carefree, conceited manner returned shortly, however, and she rolled her eyes at me, saying "Well, excuse me! You're covered in filth, your hair is a complete and utter mess, your clothes are..." she wrinkled her nose in disgust "unusual, and you have absolutely no shape, and your bones all jut out prominently!"

I winced at the last insult, days of not eating had left me all skin and bone like, and my usual, seductive and full bodied curves had disappeared. It was the only aspect if my body that I liked about myself. I was involuntarily reminded of that dream last night, and shuddered.

Skinniness was considered a most unattractive trait amongst high societies. If you were skinny, you pretty much wore a sign flashing above your head saying "I am poor and working class!" a big turn off to most upper class ladies and gentleman.

Plumpness, or a full bodied figure were alluring, as it showed one had lived a life full of luxury and wealth and did not have to consume energy doing things for yourself, when you had maids to do that for you, and that, therefore, you came from a proper and socially acceptable background.

"Victoria! Get back down here! We must choose your outfit for this coming weekends' ball!"

One of the maids came rushing into the bedroom, followed by another Belikov sister, who unlike her siblings, had a surly and miserable looking face, one that had aged her considerably, yet it was evident she was still younger than her mother, Olena.

The maid, tall, blonde and slim, and rather pretty, in an innocent sort of way, took in the scene in front of her.

Vika, on top of me, hands still roughly gripped on my shoulders, and me beneath, wild and startled eyes at the scene unfolding in front of me.

The maid, who had a clear nervous disposition, began scolding Vika, but lacked the authority and confidence to carry it off.

"Victoria... I-I do believe that your mother and sisters require your presence in the gown room immediately. You need to stop messing around, and return to them right now."

Vika rolled her eyea dramatically, "I don't want to go!" she whined petulantly, crossing her arms in a spoilt and childish fashion.

"I HATE those stupid, poncy things! Everyone's sooooo boring and stuck up their own ars—"

"Victoria!" The older sister bellowed.

"Sweet mother of Jesus, I cannot cope with Sonya today." Vika muttered under her breath.

"Watch that filthy mouth of yours! No wonder you have not found a wealthy and husband to take you and offer his hand in marriage. You're a disgrace, and no decent man would want you." I winced at her harsh words, and the young maid visibly recoiled. But the insults seemingly rolled off Vika's back, and she laughed loudly, but without humour.

"Oh, unlike you then? Tell me, how 'decent' was that fellow who planted his seed in you and then left after the deed was done, and left you with a bastard child that, had not been hushed up and taken away to a religious house, would have shamed our family?"

Woah. This was some juicy gossip, I mean, I know I'm a bastard child, and both my mum and I have been publicly shamed, but to be knocked up pre marriage in this sort of society?... You may as well be a psychotic murderer, because you'd probably be treated a damn sight better.

The elder sister's eyes narrowed into slits, and was about to offer some retort, when Vika continued her scathing ridicule.

"I wouldn't worry about me disgracing the family, dear sister, you've already taken that role up in the family."

The two sisters stood now, tense and poised, ready for attack.

It was interesting to see that even the upper class apparently had physical scraps, and I just thanked the good lord it wasnt me involved this time.

I wondered about stepping in, and mentally waged it in my head.

But the mischievous side of me won out, not that it had much competition, and I began debating which sister I'd place my bet on.

Now the elder sister, she had a bigger build and looked like she could snap at any moment, but Vika... she was fierce and ferral, and just as Olena predicted, she reminded me a lot of myse-

My thoughts were interrupted by the nervous maid, who, though sweating and trembling, decided to brave it and intervene, rather putting me and my desire to see a couple of upper class ladies to fight, to great shame.

"E-enough! We have wasted too much time already, and you both need to return to mother and grandmother at once!"

Sonya's harsh stare was then turned onto the stuttering maid, and she spoke again, with that cool, detached voice of hers.

"Hush simple child. I am a Belikov, and will not take orders from one so beneath me."

The maid lowered her head, and my heart went out to her, all my life I had experienced similar ridicule, and it was so goddamn annoying how 'above us" middle class people seemed go think they were, and how that gave them the right to speak to us like shit.

I jumped out off bed, about to speak in her defense, when Vika beat me to the punch.

"Hey! Dont speak to Lissa like that! Not too long ago, she had a title, wealth and power! She's the daughter of THE Lord Dragomir!"

Sonya smirked slyly and put her hands in her hips.

"No... she WAS the daughter of Lord Dragomir...that is until her father went mad and killed everyone in the family but her."

I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips.

"You're only with us now, child, because my poor foolish mother took pity on you, and didn't want you out on the streets."

Lissa's shoulders now shook with silent sobs, and she muttered some reason she needed to excuse herself, and ran out of the room.

Sonya now looked between Vika and I, and snorted in disdain.

"If this girl is staying here, as mother wishes, then at least get her cleaned up and presentable.

I will tell mother thay you refuse to try on the gowns, but you must both be present for dinner at one."

And with that, she turned on her heel, and stormed out of the room.

Vika glared at her retreating figure, but soon turned back to me with that amiable and easy demeanour, as if the past five minutes had never took place.

"Ignore her, she's been like that ever since the whole baby thing. Karolina, my other sister is boring, but harmless enough, but it's my grandmother you want to worry about, Yeva."

This family seemed mad, and I was beginning to question whether this would be much good for my already fragile state of sanity.

"Come on then, let's sort you out. I'm sure you'll look much nicer when you're all cleaned up."

She took my hand, and led me to a room with a tall, long bath in it.

"You need to clean first. No offense, but you absolutely stink."

She practically shoved me into the room and once she was gone, I eagerly stripped out of my filthy, torn clothes, and dived into the bath.

I took my time to revel in the soapy warmth that I hadn't felt in ages.

I rinsed off the filth from my body and hair, and closed my eyes, laying my head back and stretching my aching body, feeling content for the first time in ages.

I scrubbed my body in the scented soap salts, and washed my hair several times, loving the way it made me feel pampered and womanly in a way I hadn't felt in a long time.

Reluctantly, I drew myself out of the bath after Vika's continuous knocking and yelling for me to hurry up, and I dried myself on the most luxurious, fluffy deep red towels, and she led me back into my room, and told me to wait there one second.

I stood in the middle of the room, when something glinting in the corner caught my eye.

Curious, I turned around and spotted a gold rimmed mirror, the outline intricate and detailed, shaped in swirls and waves.

But that's not what my eyes were focused on.

No... it was the person staring back at me.

I didn't recognise her.

Her usually tan, smooth skin, was pale and sallow.

Her figure, usually so full and alluring, was boney and frail.

Her face, usually striking, and glowing, was gaunt and tired.

Her eyes, usually so sharp and bright, were dead and disheartened.

As I stared back at my reflection, taking in all of the prominent bones and ribs, taking in all of the scars and bruises, I couldn't help but feel truly hideous in that moment.

I heard footsteps edge closer down the hall, and I quickly wrapped my towel back around me, and attempted to wipe away the few tears that had fallen.

"Okay, so I got a few things to start off with, they're nothing fanc-"

Vika had entered the room, and stopped when she saw the state I was in.

She quickly wrapped her arms around me, and asked "What's wrong?"

"You were right earlier... I'm not pretty, not pretty at all."

She looked at me apologetically.

"Look, I didn't mean it earlier, I can see you are pretty, and have the potential to be beautiful! Here, I brought powder and other things, I've got some clips and brushes to do your hair, and I brought this..." She held up a very simple, plain cotton dress in white.

"It's pretty boring I know, but we're going to be late for dinner, so I picked the first thing I could find. Speaking of dinner, let's get you fixed up ready to meet the rest of the family."

She dried my hair using the towel, and then began plaiting pieces from the front to the back of my head, leaving half down flowing down to the bottom of my back in loose waves, and the rest in plaits.

She then put some light powder on my face, rouge on my cheeks, and a darker red pomade painted on my lips.

"I'm so jealous of your hair! And your eyelashes! They're so dark and long!" She exclaimed, and I blushed from the compliment.

Slowly, I was beginning to feel beautiful.

Finally, I slipped on the white dress, careful to avoid ruining my hair.

Vika then stood me up, and guided me towards the mirror.

I gasped at what I saw back.

"You look beautiful!" Vika gushed.

"I told you that you just needed cleaning up! Bet my brother won't be able to keep the soldier at ease, if you know what I mean."

She winked at me, and I shook my head as we both laughed.

But secretly, I did hope that he would find me beautiful, and looking at the woman in the mirror now, I felt much more confident in myself than I had done when I first met him.

My hair was plaited, braiding the front two pieces that usually frame my face, loosely until they clipped at the back.

My skin looked much smoother, and the slight rouge on my cheeks left me looking much healthier.

My lips looked full, and the loose white dress helped to cover the gauntness of my figure.

"I'm sorry about my bluntness earlier, mother says I'll never be a proper lady, but I'm not sure I want to be!"

She gave me a hug, and I accepted her apology without hesitation.

Just then, a bell rang sharply, and Vika shrieked and clapped her hands excitedly.

"That means it's dinner!"

And right on cue, my stomach gurgled loudly, causing us both to laugh.

Linking her arm in mine, Vika led me along the hallway, and down several spiralling staircases, pausing outside a room with two heavy oak doors.

I took a deep breath to gather my nerves, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically nervous about meeting the rest of the Belikovs.

"Hey, you'll be fine you know. You look beautiful, and I can't wait to show off my handy work!" Vika gave me a comforting smile, and I felt instantly reassured. At least I appeared to have made one person I can trust here.

Mr Castile, the butler, appeared on the other side of the doors, and holding them open for us, we stepped inside the dining room.

It was massive! It had a deep red carpet and walls, with what looked like expensive paintings of scenery on the wall. Large windows, expanding the length of the far wall, allowed a breathtaking view over the garden. A huge chandelier hung in the middle of the room, casting light on the long mahogany wood table that stretched almost the length of the entire room. It looked like it was fit to accommodate dozens of people, and yet only a handful of people currently occupied it.

Sat down, spaced out was Olena, Dimitri (at the head of the table), Sonya, another sister, whom I assumed was Karolina, and an ancient woman that looked to be well over the age of one hundred.

Much to my embarrassment, Vika strolled into the room, swept her arm out in gesture to me and said in dramatic and booming voice:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing a Miss Rosemarie Hathaway!"

I awkwardly stepped into the room, blushing, and felt everyone's gazes immediately upon me.

I heard the sharp clatter of something dropping, and shot my head up, only to meet the heated stare of Lord Belikov.

His deep eyes bore into me, his mouth agape, and his composure flustered.

He looked completely shocked at my change in appearance, and if I wasn't mistaken, he was liking what he saw.

"Dimka! You nearly spilt your dinner all over me! You're lucky the China didn't break!" Karolina shrieked.

He didn't notice her at first, and continued staring at me. His gaze trailing from my eyes, slowly raking over my body, and back up again, only to my lips this time.

I hadn't noticed how heavy my breathing had got, and my chest heaved up and down from the intensity of emotions his stare was doing to me.

I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from his, and I felt the urge to run up to him and press my body against his, and explore that tall, muscular frame with my lips.

"Pебенок шлюхи" a harsh voice said.

Both of our attentions were snapped away to the little frail old woman that sat beside Olena, who was staring at me with such burning hatred, one would think I had attempted to devour her grandson right there and then on the table in front of her.

I turned back to look at Dimitri, and his stoic mask was on once more.

"Babushka!" Vika yelled, "Don't talk to her like that!"

So I guess what ever she said wasn't particularly complimentary about me.

Yeva merely rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath, no doubt equally uncomplimentary.

"Ignore her, she can be frightfully impudent sometimes, and that's on a good day" Vika joked, trying to lighten the mood and help ease the pressure I was beginning to feel again.

"You can come sit next to me." She smiled, and began walking to the table, where I hesitantly followed. I was just about to sit down after Mr Castile pulled my chair out for me, when a loud sound made me jump back up straight.

"NO!" A deep voice bellowed.

Startled, everyone looked up to find Lord Belikov had launched himself from his chair in temper, and slammed his fist onto the table with a loud bang, making us all (except Yeva) jump.

He continued, "If SHE is to stay here, which already goes against my orders" he stopped to give Olena a deadly glare, "then it is to be on MY terms! I am the man of the house, and I decided what goes on!"

Vika snorted and I choked on a giggle at her response.

That earnt me a particularly harsh glare from Lord Belikov, as he said, "If she is to stay, then it will not be as a guest. She does not come from our class, and thus, we are not to treat her as if she was an equal."

Vika turned to me and began mimicking Dinitri in a deep voice, causing me to laugh out loud.

Dimitri turned to me, his chocolate eyes cold and hard, far from the heated and smouldering gaze I had witnessed earlier.

"You find that funny do you? Then let me entertain you some more, as you're bound to find the next bit particularly amusing."

As much as I tried, I couldn't stop smiling because Vika continued mimicking him.

"You may stay here Miss Hathaway...but as my housekeeping." Vika immediately stopped her mimicking, and I gasped.

A smug smirk grew on his face at my reaction, and it was clear that this was giving him much satisfaction.

"You can start by cleaning up this mess." He said, gesturing to the spilt food he had dropped earlier.

Needless to say, that soon wiped the smile off my face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note.**

 **Wow… Taken aback by the amount of support and reviews this story has got… just wow. If you** **read my other story, "Overwhelming Darkness" you'll know I've been ill recently, so I've not had time to focus on my stories as much as I would've liked. S** **o… I apologise so much for the delay to this story. I knew how I wanted this chapter to go, but really struggled to write it for some reason, so I'm sorry it's not as good as I hoped.**

 **But thank you to everyone who has favourited, followed, and especially those who reviewed.**

 **Oh… and shout out to the guest reviewer. Dimitri definitely reminds me of Mr Darcy! That's where the inspiration came from! Absolutely love him and pride and prejudice. Though not the Keira Knightley version *shudders*, the BBC series is soooo much better!**

 **Anyways, on with the show!**

 **Love,**

 **Emma xxx**

* * *

"Stupid, conceited little asshole." I muttered to myself, scrubbing the floor of the sixth room that day, with the pathetically small brush his Royal Highness had given to me, just to watch me suffer more than necessary, I'm sure.

I was currently in a room full of antiques, and it was a wonder that they had left me in here by myself. Although the young pretty maid… Lissa I think her name was, flittered in and out, dusting and polishing certain artefacts that were no doubt as old and expensive as the very mansion they were stored in.

But everytime I tried to start a conversation with her, she ran out of the room, as if she was terrified she'd get caught talking on the job.

And alas, I was alone again.

Lord Belikov had decided to take a hunting trip to "clear his mind" though what from, I had no idea. The women were all trying on their dresses, for this upcoming ball. I couldn't help the pangs of jealousy I felt. Their lives seemed so simple. Balls, gowns, prospective husband's.

And here I was scrubbing the hell out of a floor, hair undone from its elegant updo, and white dress marred with dirt and dust.

"And you can start by cleaning up this mess" I mimicked in a terrible Russian accent.

I dipped the brush in the bucket of hot soapy water, and continued scrubbing on my hands and knees.

"Then, you can start cleaning the west wing using this brush, assuming you are capable of using it." I continued.

I wiped the sweat of my brow and muttered to myself, pausing to catch my breath. "I'd show you how capable I am of using it, by shoving it up that perfect, royal little arse of yours."

"You think my rear is perfect?" I whipped my head around, and saw the man himself standing above me, with a smug smirk on his face. He had tall, knee length black boots on, and a pair of grey trousers, with a matching blazer, tucked into the boots.

He had his rifle, slung over his shoulder, and his hair tied back.

His eyes looked alive, and his whole face looked refreshed and almost brand new.

It was as if the fresh air had truly changed him, because his manner seemed so much more relaxed and carefree than that of what I was used to.

He towered over me, and I couldn't help my eyes wander towards the huge bulge in his trousers.

"See something you like?" He replied, mimicking the words I'd used on him in the carriage the first time we'd met.

I was initially overcome with shock, that someone as uptight as him would even utter such words.

He quirked an eyebrow at me, waiting for a response, an amused smirk etched upon his handsome face.

I think he expected me to act as if I'd been caught out, but despite his attempts, Stan hadn't beat out all of the Spirit in me.

"Yeah" I muttered, once I'd recovered. "Something I'd like to cut off and feed to the do-"

That earnt me a hearty laugh, and it annoyed me incredibly the way my heart skipped a beat at the beautiful sound.

"Whilst I've every confidence of your knowledge of the male anatomy, Miss Hathaway, I've no desire to hear what you have planned, and you are distracting yourself from your work."

"What?! Wait a minute, you were the one that came in here and started talking to me!"

And then the meaning of his words hit me, and I whirled my body around to face him.

"Just what the hell were you implying about my "knowledge of the male anatomy"?!" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I think you know exactly what part of your past I'm alluding to. Now I simply came in here to remind you to redo the hall outside here, as I have just returned from my hunting trip, and there is a pile of mud trodden into the carpets."

"Oh I see, so you clearly got off on humiliating me last time, you couldn't resist coming in here to ridicule me some more?"

"On the contrary to what you clearly believe, my world does not revolve around you, and I merely came in here to return my hunting equipment."

He stepped over me, quite literally, and made his way to the far end of the room, where a cupboard with clear, see through glass, stood, allowing a view to an array of weaponry, from long handled rifles, to traps and snares, and various other bits of equipment that I had no knowledge of.

"Also, I expect you in the drawing room in a few minutes. We have guests, and you must assist Miss Dragomir in preparing our luncheon and tea."

I narrowed my eyes at him, hating the fact that he was clearly enjoying this.

But I bit my lip, merely nodded, and resumed my cleaning duties.

I then heard him cough loudly, as if he was expecting something.

I sighed dramatically, blew some of the hair out of my face, and turned around to face him once more.

God, who would have thought having to stare at that handsome face could become such a chore!

"Miss Hathaway, what part of what I said do you not comprehend? Your services are required in the kitchen, so I suggest that you do as you are told and get a move on. And no, I do not mean the type of "services" I've no doubt you are used to delivering."

Anger raged through me, the nerve of that man to once again insinuate that I was a whore!

I stood so quickly, that it caused even him to take a step back,and I when I spoke next, I hardly recognised my own voice.

"Perhaps, Lord Belikov" I practically spat at him, "maybe, just maybe, you know absolutely nothing about my life, and it is not for you to make such unjust suggestions regarding my past."

I flicked my hair out of my face, over my shoulder defiantly, and went to turn to storm out of the room, when I felt his large hand suddenly grip my fragile wrist, and he pulled me back towards him.

And when I looked back at him, it would be an understatement to say that I was shocked at what I saw.

Softness to those beautiful eyes. Usually so harsh and calculating, he looked at me now with such warmness and concern, that I couldn't help myself melting into their shimmering dark depths.

His grip on my wrist loosened, and the other hand snaked up behind my head, tilting it towards him upwards.

His fingers caressed my neck, and I shuddered.

But it was then that I remembered what was there.

When I had flicked my hair, I had inadvertently revealed the hideous scar, left by Stan when he had burnt me with the fire poker.

I began to panic, and began to try and push away against his touch, stupid tears of embarrassment beginning to fill my eyes.

But, much to my surprise, he merely pulled me closer to him, so that our faces were just a few inches apart.

A few years slid down my cheek, and he swallowed heavily, as if consumed by some overwhelming emotion, and one of his elegant fingers reached up to catch the falling tears, before allowing his hand to settle on my cheek.

The contact was warm and inviting, and I felt myself slowly lean into it.

His hand that had been placed on my wrist, slowly inched its way up my body, over my curves, and settled in my hair.

We were both breathing heavily now, and I had never felt such intensity, such a gravitational pull towards someone in all my life.

I could feel his breath on my face, and he placed his head on top of mine.

"Oh Roza…" I heard him whisper, voice muffled as he buried his face in my hair.

I allowed myself to sink into him, my body seemingly moulded against his perfectly, and we stood there, like that, for what seemed like a blissful eternity.

As awkward as it should've been, it felt… completely… right. I had worked so hard to conceal all evidence of my past for so long, and making myself so vulnerable to someone should have terrified me, but I allowed myself to feel comforted.

I breathed in his smell, God he smelt incredible. So musky and manly.

I could feel the elevated beating of his heart, the fast pace no doubt mirroring my own.

It was the strangest sensation, feeling so at peace, yet so thrilled, like every nerve in my body was alive.

He pulled us apart slightly, and I suddenly felt extremely embarrassed about what had passed between us.

I turned my head away from his gaze, embarrassed that I felt so much, remembering that he was a Lord, and could not possibly feel something for someone as lowly as myself.

But, again to my surprise, he placed his fingers delicately under my chin, and raised it so that I had no other option that to look at him.

"It is nothing to be embarrassed about Roza." He looked at me earnestly, and my eyes began to well up.

"But it is! It makes me weak and pathetic. And Moreover, the scars left, they're hideous. I'm disgusting and heinous-"

"No Roza. They make you strong."

I scoffed at him, but he continued. "They show what you have endured, and what you have survived."

He looked at me, with such sorrow in his eyes.

"When my Mama used to get hit and beaten by my father, I wished to God I had stood up to him. I tried once, when I was thirteen, and I broke his nose, and left him immobile for months."

I started at him in awe. "You beat up your own father, when you were just thirteen years of age?!"

He smiled at me, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Yes, I did indeed. And things were peaceful for a while. But then as soon as he'd recovered his full strength again… that's when things got worse.

My poor mama."

He looked so vulnerable, that I couldn't help but squeeze him closer to me.

"But thankfully, it wasn't long before he died. But I still wish…. All those years ago, that I had been so much stronger for her.

It is why when I saw you in the alleyway, I was not able to just turn away as my peers would have done. I had to do something."

I smiled at him softly, "You did, you saved me. And for that I will be forever grateful, my Lord.

I wish… I wish I had found the courage to leave sooner."

I had no idea why I was telling him all this, we were practically strangers.

I tried to tell myself that he couldn't possibly give a damn, but the way he was looking at me, so intensely, and so full of sadness, I couldn't help myself opening up to him like it was the most natural thing in the world.

He looked as if he was about to respond, but all of a sudden we heard footsteps edge closer to the room, and a small voice called out, "Lord Belikov? I'm sorry to disturb you, but your tea is nearly ready in the drawing ro- Oh!"

It was Lissa, and at the sight of us two, she gasped loudly, before stuttering some form of apology, and dashing out of the room.

In the panic, Dimitri had sprang apart from me, and knocked over one of the very expensive antique vases on the cabinet behind him, and is smashed to the floor with a loud crash.

The sound seemed to make something snap inside of him, as his demeanor suddenly changed, and gone was the warm, gentle man that had stood before me moments ago.

"I think Miss Hathaway, you should return to your post, and join Miss Dragomir in the kitchen to prepare our tea and luncheon, as I requested all those moments ago."

Shocked at his sudden change, I didn't manage to utter a response, and nodded like an idiot and dashed out of there.

I made my way to my room, and rather conveniently, there was a change of clothes for me already laid out on the bed.

I quickly changed, and attempted to re-adjust my hair, making sure the scar was fully concealed again.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

I had a simple maid's costume on, with a plain black dress, and frilly white apron over the top of it. There was a frilly white hat meant to accompany it, which I point blank refused to wear.

I somehow managed to navigate my way to the large kitchen area, where Lissa was currently preparing small, dainty little sandwiches and cakes for the arrival of Lord Belikov's guests.

She glanced up at me, and we both flushed red from embarrassment at the scene that had taken place earlier.

I felt the need to explain myself, and began with "It wasn't what it looked like…" but had no idea what the hell 'it' actually was.

Had there just been a moment between us? And if so, why did he return to his usual cold self so suddenly? Could he, Lord Belikov, really be attracted to me? Or did he just feel sorry for me?

But my musings were cut off by the sound of the bell, and Lissa told me that that was the signal for is to bring on the prepared beverages and food.

Lissa finished off setting up the trays, whilst I attended to the tea making, and we both made our way into the drawing room.

There stood three men, all conversing and laughing light-heartedly in the centre of the room.

We quietly set down our trays, and attempted to slink out of there, but one of the men stopped us.

"Ah housekeep! Good, that hunting trip has left me famished!"

The man was tall, though not quite the same height as Dimitri, and extremely handsome. He had blonde hair, and a square jawline, and a light pair of eyes.

He stood and assessed us, and his eyes landed on me, apparently favouring me out of the two of us, though I had no idea why.

"My oh my Dimitri! You have all the beauties working for you here, don't you!"

He stepped towards us, and tenderly kissed our hands, his lips lingering on mine a little longer than necessary, and Dimitri coughed loudly and cleared his throat to try and end it.

"Dimitri, please introduce us!"

But Dimitri merely rolled his eyes and said "It is not common practice for us to associate with the maids, Lord Zeklos, and I hardly believe it is appropriate to do so now."

Wow. Okay…. So he was definitely back to being a bastard again.

I turned to Lord Zeklos, and gave him my best man eating smile, and said sweetly "Miss Hathaway, Lord Zeklos, a pleasure to meet you." I curtseyed before him, positively beaming from the image of Dimitri clenching his fists out of the corner of my eye.

"Believe me, Miss Hathaway, the pleasure is all mine." and he winked at me, causing Dimitri to intervene again.

"If you would be so good as to actually do your job Miss Hathaway, and place the trays on the table."

I scowled at him, and did as he said, expecting to be followed by Lissa.

But I turned around, and found her stood still, like a statue, frozen in shock.

I turned to see what she was staring at, only to find the object of her attention was the other man in the room.

He had pitch black hair, and a pair of striking ice blue eyes that were currently fixated on the blonde beauty in front of him.

They both stood there, staring at each other, lust and desire consuming their gaze, but neither of them making a move to approach the other.

"Ahhh Lord Ozera, this is-"

"Miss Lissa Dragomir. Yes, I know. I have had the pleasure of being aquatinted with her before." His voice was soft, and there was an aura of longing that surrounded him.

I elbowed Lissa in the ribs, "Oh, sorry!" She exclaimed.

She curtseyed before him, and timidly said "Lord Ozera, a pleasure to see you again. I hope your family are doing well?"

Man, it was clear she was from royalty… she was much better than I at this.

The man smiled affectionately at her.

"Natasha is doing well thank you. And how are you coping?"

Lord Zeklos snorted at the mention of this "Natasha" lady, and I saw Dimitri scowl at him.

Lissa lowered her head, but not before everyone caught a glimpse of the sadness that consumed her.

"I am okay, my Lord, thank you"

An awkward silence lingered in the room, and Lord Ozera's arms twitched at his side's, as if he wanted to run to her and take her in his arms.

Thankfully, Dimitri cleared his throat and dismissed the two of us, relieving everyone of the awkward situation.

Once we were away from the prying eyes of the men, I couldn't resist gossiping to Lissa.

"You know, I rather think that Lord Ozera is quite taken with you."

Lissa blushed violently, the colour to her cheeks making her even prettier.

"I... I shouldn't think so Miss Hathaway, he is much above me. Maybe once, we could have…."

She looked away wistfully for a second, before shaking her head, and lowering it to the ground, as if ashamed to have even thought such a thing, "but not now. He doesn't notice me. And why should he? He is one of the most eligible bachelors in town, and one of the richest too."

"Well, all I know is that you are one hell of an attractive lady, and he seems extremely besotted with you." She blushed again, before we heard the bell requesting our presence once more.

I told Lissa that I would go, and I stepped in the room, and bowed my head slightly.

I went to collect the empty dinner plates, earning me a disappointed look of disdain from Christian, no doubt because it wasn't Lissa who entered this time, and a wink from Ivan, I had just finished collecting the two gentlemen's plates, when I heard his voice call me.

"Excuse me, housekeep."

His deep accented voice held a mocking tone to it.

And it took every ounce of my will power not to turn around and kick him in a way that would ruin all his future chances of parenthood.

I gritted my teeth and turned to face him, "Yes, My Lord?"

"This tea is foul, and not fit to be served to neither me nor my guests. I order you to make it again."

I couldn't help the unladylike snort that escaped my lips, as I stalked up to him, and much his surprise, picked up his teacup, took a large gulp, and said "Hmmm, I can't see anything wrong with it. Pray tell, what is it you take issue with?"

It was a perfectly fine cup, and he damn well knew it. But I suspected that once again, he did not think that I would challenge him.

His face flushed with anger, and I couldn't help the gleeful smile that stretched on my face at the response I'd received.

But before he could reply to me, Lord Zeklos barked out in laughter, saying,

"My goodness Dimka! Where on earth did you find this girl? I like her spirit!"

I swear I saw a flash of jealousy in his eyes, and Dimitri turned to him and said, "I found her in an alleyway, cowering before three men about to have their way with her. She was defenseless, penniless and in peril danger, and if she does not begin to show a little more respect" his voice became louder, and he shouted this last bit in pure anger, "that is where she will damn well find herself returning!"

His whole body shook, as if he was about to spontaneously combust with all the rage built up in him, caused by me, showing him up in front of his peers.

I felt my own anger rise, the fact he could speak to me like that after everything I had confided in him.

We both glowered at each other, but our staring match was interrupted by Lord Zeklos.

"Well then, I hope you don't mind if I take her off your hands then. I wouldn't mind some more housekeep, and especially an attractive one such as our dear Miss Hathaway here."

I expected Dimitri to readily accept, but he seemed visibly upset by the idea, merely shouting "NO!"

Everybody stopped what they were doing, and looked at him in surprise at his outburst.

I hated the way his protest made me feel, like he did desire me.

The very thought caused shivers to run down my spine, and I shuddered violently in response.

Everyone shuffled around in their seats uncomfortably, before Lord Ozera decided that a swift change in topic would do them good, and they soon began talking about the ball.

Feeling the need to get some space, I picked up the unfinished tea, returning to the kitchen to make another pot. I was making a racket, banging everything about and spilling the contents of the tea cups.

"What… what happened?" Lissa stuttered, when I came into the room, flustered and banging everything around in temper.

"Stupid Dimitri, that's what happened!" I growled.

Lissa looked shocked at me, "You mean Lord Belikov?!"

I nodded at her and she gasped, "Miss Hathaway! You cannot possobly speak about him like that. And you must call him by his proper name!"

"You mean his royal pain in the arse?"

And we both burst out into a fit of hysterics. I comtinued once we'd recovered.

"And speaking of proper names, you had better start calling me Rose, 'Miss Hathaway' sounds so stuck up and pretentious."

Lissa giggled, and said "Fine, but I must insist you call me 'Miss Dragomir' Lissa sounds so common and informal."

I laughed out loud and retorted, "Fine, we'll compromise and call you 'Liss'"

She began to protest, laughing as she yelled at me, until we heard the bell again.

I rolled my eyes, and Liss swatted my arm.

"I'll go again, not like I have go face a starry eyed lover who won't stop staring at me."

Lissa gasped again, and kept hitting me, until I managed to escape with the tea, back into the drawing room, and walked right into the middle of the conversation.

"You know I positively loathe those sort of events. Too many people, too much personal contact, too many inane people, making inane conversation. All terribly irksome and tiresome." Dimitri moaned.

Lord Ozera, immediately protested.

"You cannot possibly leave me to suffer such an event by myself!"

Dimitri rolled his eyes at him, and made himself more comfortable on his chair.

Lord Ozera continued in his whines, "And besides, you must accompany my sister to the dance, particularly as you're now engaged!"

I gasped loudly, and as if that wasn't enough to draw attention to myself, in my state of shock, I clumsily tripped over the footstool Lord Zeklos had his feet place upon, and landed in his lap.

"My oh my Miss Hathaway, if you keep behaving like this, I'll have no choice but to sneak you away myself. You certainly know how to tease a fellow! Tell me, is that from years of practise?"

And he winked at me, and I felt his hands rest on my upper thigh.

I knew he was only joking, but I couldn't help but jump up in repulsion. Both by his actions, and the fact his insinuations as to my past touched a nerve, and I scrambled to my feet, desperately to get out of this situation immediately.

"Ivan!" Dimitri roared, and he turned to me as I made to get out of the room.

"Roza, wait!"

But I was gone.

I ran out of the room as fast as I could, hoping to escape before anyone noticed just how upset I was. The last thing I wanted was for Him to know how much he had hurt me.

" _Stupid, stupid, stupid_." The voice at the back of my head ridiculed.

" _How could you be so foolish as to think he would actually begin to have feelings for you? That anything you feel would ever be reciprocated by someone like him."_

Of course he would be engaged to someone else. And I bet she was beautiful, and strong, and worthy of him.

My face flushed red, and I felt my mouth go dry and my vision blur.

I learnt against the kitchen table for support, but my feeble arms did little to support me.

I had not a thing to eat in my time here, and both the physical and emotional turmoil I had put my body through became too much, and before I knew it, my legs gave way beneath me, and I collapsed to the floor, everything going black.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Author's note,_**

 _Thank you SO SO SO SO SO MUCH FOR ALL OF MY WONDERFUL REVIEWS. I got over eighteen, a record for me! So a huge thank you to everyone that took the time to tell me their thoughts._

 _I know that the last chapter received mixed reviews, and that's okay, it's good to hear what people think. I know some were concerned about Dimitri's character, but he is different in this story. Hopefully not too much, but he is more a mixture of him and Mr Darcy. And let's face it, Mr Darcy was a bit of a dick at times. A loveable one, but a dick nonetheless ;). In regards to Lissa's situation, it's a good point you've raised, and I hope the chapter after this explains it :)._

 _I am sorry for the delay, if you read my other story, Overwhelming darkness, you will know I've not been well, and am on some medication that is causing memory loss and fatigue. I'm told I will adjust to the side effects soon, so hopefully I'll be updating more often._

 _Anyway, we got 18 reviews for the last chapter... Can we aim for at least half that on this one? 9 reviews and I'll be mega happy. I only got four for my other story, and I was sulking for days! Thank you to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed. And especially thank you for everyone who has stuck with the story. You guys are awesome._

 _Much love,_

 _Emma xxx_

* * *

God almighty. My head. Everything was making it pound like crazy.

….."Rose….Rose?" a voice persisted, calling my name over and over again.

Urggghhhh make it stop.

"Rose, are you awake? Open your eyes If you can hear me"

That voice, that beautiful voice. It must belong to an angel.

Wait. Does that mean I'm dead?

"Bring the lantern closer, see if it makes her stir." a light? Oh shit. That's never a good sign if I'm walking towards the light.

A painful bright orange glow flitted across my closed eyelids, and I groaned loudly In protest.

"That's it! She's awake! Bring it closer!"

Somehow, words began to spew out of my mouth, and I snapped at the person inflicting the torture on me.

"You fucking bring it closer, you sweet angel of death, and I swear to God I will rip that pretty little head of hair of yours, and make a fucking pillow with it!"

"Yup. She's awake." A male voice said.

I slowly opened my eyes, taking a while to adjust to my setting, which turned out to be my bed quarters, and fixed my gaze upon Lissa.

"Where… where is everyone else?"

Lissa replied, "They're getting ready for the Ozera Ball. The women must help each other get ready, and Lord Belikov is currently consuming his body mass in alcohol. In preparation for tonight."

I stared at her in puzzlement. "That means I've been out for over a day, right?" She nodded her head and sighed.

A man spoke up again, and the blonde hair and square shoulders undoubtedly belonged to that of Mr Castile.

"You hit your head pretty hard, and even if you had not, your body gave out to fatigue anyway."

As my mind slowly caught up with the information Lissa gave me, I slowly said, thinking I'd surely misheard, "Did you say that Lord Belikov… he is currently engaging in activities typical of those of a drunkard?"

Lissa giggled, earning her a look of disapproval from Mr Castile.

"He rather loathes such social gatherings, and prefers to be… in a state of numbness so that the evening passes in blur." He explained.

"He was also feeling quite guilty and panic stricken over what happened with you, he helped to carry you upstairs, and wouldn't leave your bedside until Lady Belikov reassured him that you would be quite alright under my care." Lissa continued, and I found myself blushing. "Even then, it took a lot of convincing, he was really rather concerned."

I couldn't help the little smile that played on my lips. Did that mean that he really did care? Surely, it must do if he made that much of a fuss of me. I wasn't quite sure why, but the thought that he genuinely cared sent shivers down my spine, and made me feel warm and comforted.

But naturally, my good mood, as always, was quickly put to an end.

"I rather think that he was trying to come up with a reason to excuse himself from the ball." Mr Castile added, and I immediately felt ridiculous thinking it was because he cared about me.

He placed a tray on the bedside table beside me, and left the room with a quick bow.

I eyes the contents of the tray, and as I took in the soup and bread, my mouth began to involuntarily water.

I was just about to dive forward and grab it, when a large sob caught my attention. I turned to find Lissa collapsing on the bed next to me, shoulders shaking as she cried.

She began tearing up, "I'm so sorry Rose, I should've helped you, I could've given you food if I knew you needed it. I'm so sor-"

"Lissa!" I yelled. "This isn't your fault! I maybe should've asked...but.."

I trailed off.

 _* **Flashback** *_

"Where is she?!" His voice boomed throughout the house, causing the entire building to vibrate under the intensity. I heard something slam violently and winced.

"That whore! That fucking whore!" He yelled.

I remained cowering under the bed, closing my eyes. Somehow hoping that if I kept my eyes closed, it would make me invisible.

Everything went quiet, and I breathed a sigh of relief. He must've gone out. That's what he did. Either take it out on me, or go out drinking away what little money we had.

Suddenly I heard a heavy noise, followed by another, only this time is was louder.

My eyes widened as I realised he was making his way up the stairs.

He was on the landing now, right outside the master bedroom where I hid.

He put on a sickly sweet voice and called out to me. "Oh Rose! Come out, come out wherever you are!" His creepy voice sent shivers tingling down my spine, and I squeezed my eyes shut again, wishing and praying him away.

The door creaked open, and I peeped an eye open to see his boots exposed under the bed.

I held my breath, not daring to give myself away.

I opened my eyes again, only to see the boots had disappeared. I let out the breath of been holding, and gasped loudly, heaving for the air I had deprived myself off. I laid my head on the ground, exhausted, and allowed myself a few seconds of relief. He hadn't got me, not this time.

I smiled to myself, and felt my muscles relaxing. When suddenly, I felt a strong hand grab my ankle.

It pulled me back, out from under the bed, and I was screaming as he dragged me, desperately digging and clawing at the floor to keep him from getting to me. But it was useless, he hauled me up by my hair, and I could feel his putrid breath on my neck as he snarled.

"Where is it?"

I froze in horror, and didn't respond.

This made him even angrier.

"I SAID TELL ME WHERE IT IS!" He roared, slapping me across the face with such force, that it made my neck snap to the side. My cheek stung, and tears began to fall.

It was no use playing dumb with Stan, it would only prolong the punishment.

"I'm so sorry! I was so hungry, it's been days since I last ate, and you don't usually end up eating it all anyway, so I didn't think there was any harm in having one…." I didn't finish my sentence, because he picked me up and pushed me up against the wall.

"DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO ABOUT STEALING OTHER PEOPLE'S THINGS?" He spat at me, and I winced and tried to yank my head away, desperate to wipe his spit that he had sprayed, from my face.

I whimpered, and shook my head. But that evidently wasn't enough to satisfy him.

"I SAID, DOES IT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO STEAL MY THINGS?!" He roared at me, his face visibly glowing red from anger.

I attempted to lower my head to avoid his gaze, but with a quick snag of my hair, he yanked it back up and forced me to look into his.

"No" I whispered quietly, trying hard not to cry as he continued glaring at me, his cold eyes seemingly piercing myself resolve.

"Say it again, but louder. And beg for my forgiveness." He snarled, a malevolent grin stretching on his heinous face, showing he was clearly enjoying this far too much.

I grimaced, and desperately fought back the urge to knee him in his precious male parts.

I gritted my teeth, knowing there was no other way.

"No, it does not give me a right to steal. I'm sorry, Sir. Please forgive me. I promise I won't do it again."

He spat at me, and slammed my head against the wall for good measure.

I slid to the floor, and my vision began to blur.

He stood over me, and suddenly, he threw his head back in laughter at the sight before him.

"Foolish, stupid girl. Thinking you were clever enough to outwit me, thinking you had a right to deserve to eat. Well, if you want to eat my scraps, then so be it. You can eat like a dog, in a bowl, and if you refuse to, then you deny yourself the right to eat."

He kicked me hard, one last time in the stomach, and the pain caused me to double over, until I eventually slunk into the depths of unconsciousness.

 ** _*End of flashback*_**

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to be a nuisance." I said quietly, and lowered my head. The memory of Stan was all too painful, and it reminded me how lucky I was to be here. I hadn't wanted to push my luck after everything they had already done for me.

I glanced up at Lissa, who helped me sit up, and she handed me a glass of water.

I sighed with relief, as the cool water soothed my scorching dry throat.

"You aren't a nuisance, I'm sorry if it was because of me…. I never really thought to ask, this is all so new to me."

Her eyes glazed over, as she thought about her past.

I finished my drink and placed my hand over hers and said softly, "You can tell me about it any time you know. Your past I mean." I wasn't entirely sure why I felt the need to say this, or whether someone who was used to surrounding themselves with those of a higher class stature would even take refuge in someone like me. But I felt this unexplainable bond to her, almost as if she were a sister I never had.

"I promise I am not one to judge, but maybe telling someone may help?"

I gave that bit of advice remembering how much weight it felt like was lifted off my shoulders after confiding in Dimitri. And soon after, I remembered what an arse he'd been, and I slunk back into my bed, a headache suddenly hitting me as I recalled what a fool I'd been to trust him, and tell him such personal information.

Lissa immediately began panicking when I lay down and groaned loudly, oblivious to the fact it had more to do with my mental grumblings as opposed to any true physical pain.

"Oh Gosh Rose, I… I should find Olena… I'm out of my depths here. She said just let you rest and eat until you fully recover, but what if I've messed it up somehow. I… I had better go get her!" She became flustered and her face blushed bright red from the panic.

"Woah, woah, woah Liss! Calm down! I'm okay… it's not… it's nothing physical…."

She looked at me, and cocked her head to one side, puzzled.

I sighed and decided it might be nice to have a friend around here, and that I might as well tell her.

"... it's more emotional… and may have something to do with a certain Lord around here."

Her eyes widened, and she gasped loudly. "Oh my God, Oh my God! I knew there was something going on, the connection, the energy and tension between the two of you in that room. It looked like you were about to kiss! Oh, how romantic! A Lord falling for his servant! It's like something out of a fairy tale!" she squealed loudly in giddiness, clapping her hands together at the newfound gossip she now possessed.

It was my turn to panic, and my eyes darted around to check no one was in the nearby area to make sure they didn't overhear.

I leapt out of bed, ignoring the wave of dizziness that hit me, and clamped my hand over her mouth.

"First of all, there is nothing going on!

Secondly, I am not his servant! And thirdly…. No one else can know."

I could feel her eyes widen in fear, and I realised I came across a little too brutish and uncouth.

I quickly let go of her, and climbed back into bed.

She looked at me dubiously, and I could tell she didn't believe a word of what I said.

"Fine!" I moaned, "I'll make a deal with you. You tell me a bit about yourself, and I'll tell you a bit about myself. But this stays between us too."

She hesitated, biting her lip, and I could almost hear her debating it over in her mind.

"Fine. Deal. But only because I'm a sucker for gossip."

I grinned widely at her, " That's fine with me. But first. Food. I am famished."

My smile widened as she brought the tray to my lap, and she laughed at my excitement.

I quickly and savagely bit into my food, nearly swallowing it whole. I didn't even care that Lissa was probably watching me, wide eyed with disgust, In fact, it was only until the sixth slice of bread, when I began to slow down, that I remembered she was in the room.

She gulped at me and said, clearly startled, "I've never seen anyone eat that amount in all my life. I… I don't know how it's physically possible" she stared at me in wonder, and I couldn't help but laugh at her fish-like, open mouth expression.

"It's a gift" I said, shrugging it off casually.

As I picked up my seventh alive of bread, she practically snorted in disgust, and whined, "I'm not sure I have the stomach to watch you eat any more. It's making me feel rather queasy."

"Well, if you don't have the stomach for this, I'm not sure you'll have the stomach to hear about my life story."

She began to pout and sighed, "Fine, I'll stay, but please slow down a bit at least! You'll make yourself sick if you continue at that pace!"

I finished off my meal, and relished in the feeling of being absolutely stuffed to the brim. It had been ages since I had ate properly, and I instantly felt like I had a great deal more energy. I felt like a new me, in a way.

"Finally! Now can we talk?" She asked, and I decided that I wanted to feel completely brand new, loving this feeling of embracing this new start.

"Alright, but let me get washed and dressed first, I feel disgusting in this." I complained, eyeing up the horrible, frilly brown night garment I currently adorned.

She laughed again, "Okay, I'll let you off, because that is dreadfully hideous, but no more putting it off after that!" and she led me to the washroom.

I hesitated as I followed her into the washroom, because I knew that it would mean she would see me naked.

And it's not just that I'm extremely thin at the moment… it's all the scars that marked my body that concerned me more.

"You know, I think I can take it from here. The food has really helped me, and I think I can manage myself in the bath." I said, almost pleading with her to leave me alone. Unfortunately, she didn't catch on.

"I'm sorry Rose, but I can't possibly leave you on your own when you've been out for days. I don't want anything to happen to you."

I blushed red, embarrassed over my current state of weakness. She mistook it, and said sweetly, "If you're worried about undressing in front of me, please don't be. I've had to help the Ladies of the house several times to get changed into their attire, so I am no longer prudish to that sort of thing."

I tried several more excuses, but Lissa was having none of it. So eventually, I gave up, and I gently eased the towel off me.

I glanced down, to avoid seeing her reaction, but when I didn't hear anything, I peeked through my hair to see her, and noticed only a softness to her eyes.

No judgement, no look of disgust at what she'd seen, just kind, sympathetic eyes.

She didn't say a word, and simply ran my bath for me, helping me to climb in, as I was still feeling quite weak. I smiled at her in thanks, and she smiled back at me In recognition, and I felt tears form in the corner of my eyes, touched that I had found someone as kind hearted and sweet as her.

She helped me to bathe, and wrapped me in a warm towel, before she sat me down in front of the mirror, and began brushing my tangled wet hair.

"I'm so jealous of your hair, it's so thick and dark and luscious." she said wistfully, as she carefully pulled the comb through it.

I snorted in derision. The idea that someone as beautiful as her could be jealous of me, in my rough state, was outright ludicrous.

Sure, my hair was one of the only things I liked about myself, it being thick and dark, with a slight wave to it, cascading down to the bottom of my back- that combined with my dark eyes and (usually) olive skin tone gave me a sort of exotic look.

But I was still painfully thin. I looked like I had a bit more of a sparkle in my eyes, and colour to my cheeks after the hearty meal, but it was nothing compared to how I used to be.

Whereas Lissa, she was the picture of beauty. With her silky hair, always elegantly done up, bright green eyes, and tall and slender frame… she was absolutely stunning.

She left my hair down, and helped me out of my seat at the dressing table, before dashing in the wardrobe to prepare my clothes.

She brought out another simple white gown, this time with much less frills, thankfully, and laid it out on the bed.

"Okay, so now I've let you eat and bathe. Just get dressed and then we can finally talk!" She exclaimed, and gestured me towards her.

She dropped my towel, and bent over to pick up my gown. Just as she did, we heard a slight knock at the door, before it creaked open hesitantly.

"Miss Dragomir? I came by to inform you that the Ladies of the Manor require your assistance, and that I am capable of looking after Miss Hathaway in the meantime." a deep, accented voice said.

Both Lissa and I stood there in a state of shock, praying to God he didn't walk in right now, and see me in all my naked glory.

"Okay, Lord Belikov, I'll be down shortly." Lissa managed to squeal out.

"Pardon, Miss Dragomir- I didn't quite catch what you said. Is it alright for me to come in?" He asked.

But just as Lissa and I screamed out our protests, he entered the room, eyes widening as they settled on us.

Or rather, me in particular. My whole body seemed to set on fire under his gaze, as he stood there, blatantly running his eyes up and down my body.

Not one of us moved, and as much as my mind screamed at me to move, my body didn't seem to want to comply, as every nerve became alive under his gaze.

 _"If his gaze can do that, just imagine what his touch could do._ " A voice at the back of my mind whispered, and I shuddered at the thought, body coiling and tensing in anticipation.

Lissa broke the spell I was under, as she recovered from her shock.

"...okay, so now you HAVE to tell me what's going on between the two of you" she whispered, giggling.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Author's note_**

 ** _Thank you all SO SO SO SO MUCH AGAIN FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS!_**

 ** _You guys are awesome! 15 this time! Honestly, each time I read one, it makes my day! Please continue to review, can we aim for 8 again?_**

 ** _So… This one is in Dimitri's POV, as requested in one of the reviews. I was wary of writing in his perspective, especially as I wanted to give him an air of mystery. But I think it's time you had an insight into his mind. And shout-out to the guest 'Sky', laughed out loud at your suggestions, and you may or may not be correct with one of your ideas!_**

 ** _Let me know what you think of this Dimitri and his conflicting emotions! And if you want me to write from his POV again._**

 ** _Any suggestions/requests are always taken on board, so suggest away!_**

 ** _Thanks to everyone who followed, favorited and reviewed. Please keep them coming._**

 ** _P.S turns out I was having a violent allergic reaction to meds, hence the crazy side effects!_**

 ** _Much love,_**

 ** _Emma xxx_**

* * *

 **DPOV**

"...make a beautiful wife. Positively glowing. Look at her, Lady Ozera captured the heart of every man in the room, but only yours did she release from its insufferable cell."

I did not even bother to respond, or bother with pleasantries for that matter. I had not listened to this man's rambles for the past half decade, and I was not about to begin to now.

And if his dreary, and to be quite frank, rather perverted manner was not enough to turn my mind elsewhere, knowing certain brunette was back in my manor most certainly was.

"Belikov. Belikov! BELIKOV!" His voice boomed, and the people in our close vicinity turned around, startled. Oh, how I loathed such attention.

"Yes, Lord Rinaldi. You have succeeded in capturing not only my attention now, but that of everyone else's in the room." I noted dryly, not even attempting to humour the man in conversation.

He appeared rather flustered at my cross and uninterested tone of voice, and smoothed the non-existent creases on his dress coat, and coughed to clear his throat.

"Well, I say, Lord Belikov. You are not half distracted by something tonight. I would have almost assumed it was because you did not wish to engage in conversation with me!" He bellowed, and laughed riotously. Though why the notion that I should not wish to talk to him was so laughter -inducing escaped me completely.

His large, round face, accompanied with his rotund, portly short shape, wobbled profusely as he shook with laughter.

He twisted his small moustache, and wrinkled his weasel like nose.

"Though, I daresay old chap, if I had been engaged to a beauty such as her, I could indeed not find the willpower to take my mind away from her."

He licked his lips, and leant in close to me, and I closed my eyes, wishing myself away from this social gathering.

"Pray tell, I bet you can't wait until the night thy is wed? You have the most incredible restraint, because it is all I can do to refrain from taking her right here right now. Although, I don't suppose the women of the night help to ease that particular problem, eh?"

He nudged my arm with his elbow suggestively, and chucked to himself, and I could not help the sneer that crept on my face.

Though naturally, my childhood had endeavoured to prepare me for Balls such as this one, and Lord knows I had my fair experience of them to have got used to them by now, I could not for the life of me see the appeal.

It was filled with false people, putting on ostentatious displays of opulence and superiority, in order to make a show of just what one's social standing was.

I glanced across the room and met my mother's disapproving eyes.

"This behaviour is not acceptable, Dimka, you are engaged for heaven's sakes!" I could almost hear her say just from her glare.

I sighed. I suppose I should attempt to show some sort of social prowess, and as opposed to making some snide remark he deserved, I merely nodded and turned away.

He continued rambling on, and I took the time to take in the details of the Ozera's grand Ballroom.

Though I hated these events, I could not deny the sheer beauty and grandeur of this room. The walls were a crisp white, and gold swirls ran along the borders, adding a certain richness to the decor. Marble pillars adorned the edges of the room, matching the clean cut, shiny marble floor. A huge chandelier hung from the centre of the ceiling. It was no doubt made of gold, and was a piece of art in itself. With intricate gold vines, delicately intervening and wrapping around the stems of each flower, which each held a dazzling bright light.

I had always been able to appreciate beauty. For instance, I knew an attractive woman when I saw one, and yet, it was never enough to spark anything within me beyond mere intrigue.

Natasha, for instance, though no doubt a beautiful woman, with her sleek, straight black hair piercing blue eyes, and tall slender build, did not actually make me feel much beyond a primal appreciation of her. Nothing else about her character actually drew me to her.

She was an incredibly irksome woman, with her non stop talk about superficial matters and gossip. Sure, every man envied my current position, but I doubt many would actually wish to court her if they knew her character.

But that was what I hated the most about this society. The person did not matter. It was all about appearances and money. So long as one was well presented and wealthy, they had every guarantee of being the most desired person in town.

So seldom an upper class marriage was based upon the notions of love people associate with fantasy novels.

And that's what drew me to _her_. She was unlike anyone I had encountered before. She was wild, uninhibited by social rules and hierarchy. From the moment we met, and I shall never forget when I first laid eyes upon her, she had never attempted to conceal her true self away from me.

I do not know whatever possessed me to attempt to 'rescue' her in that alleyway, and I felt ashamed to say that, had it been a woman who's beauty did not captivate me so, it is likely that I would not have ordered my carriage around, and offered her a bed for the night.

But I knew, in that split second, that I could not let such beauty escape me. Even if it was just to experience it for a short period of time. Little did I know then, that she would be residing at my manor.

And little did I know, that my reasons for being drawn to her would go beyond beauty, like no other woman had succeeded before.

But ever since our conversation in the antique room, when we had both inexplicably opened up our vunderable sides to each other, I could not stop thinking about the damn girl.

It did not help matters much, when mere hours ago, I saw her beauty in the flesh, so to speak.

*Flashback*

I couldn't move. Every gentlemanly instinct in me told me to flee, but I could not, for the life of me, will myself away. And nor did I wish to.

She was the most striking figure I had ever met in my entire life.

She stood before me, her incredibly curveacious frame outlined by the dim setting of the candles lit.

I trailed my eyes, rather obviously, over her curves, and I did not care in that moment about my indecent manner. No, all I could think about was if she was this stunning now, imagine the curves on the woman when she'd not been starved for days.

She was an incredibly exotic creature. A pale complexion was usual preferable in the social circles I run in, for it meant one did not have to work outside for a living.

But on her, it was stunning. Her deep, olive skin, complemented her thick, black luscious locks that cascaded down her back. I felt my hands twitch, itching to run my fingers through her mane.

Needless to say, it wasn't the only part of me that twitched.

Her ample bosom was heaving, as she seemed to struggle under the intensity of my state.

I smirked to myself, as I realised she had not yet covered herself up, she too, was too caught up in the moment. It was indeed a great pleasure to be the attention of such a beautiful creature.

But, just as I thought that, she hastened to wrap her towel around her once more, panic striking her features, and tears welling up in her eyes. Her cheeks flushed red, and she began yelling at me to get out.

I frowned, unable to comprehend the sudden change of heart.

But as she made an effort to cover up a particular long gash across her chest, it dawned on me.

She thought her scars made her less beautiful.

If only she knew how wrong she was. I meant what I said that day in the antique room. The scars showed what she had lived through, and they made her the strong, resiliant and passionate woman that stood before me today. They made her even more beautiful to me.

It quickly became clear to me that she worried that I was staring at her with something other than the desire I was feeling.

"Ladies and gentlemen…" she started sarcastically, "Roll up, roll up for the experience of a life time. Here, for one night only, and here just for your entertainment, is the freak show! Gather round and start gawping at the circus attraction."

"Miss Hathaway…" I started, beginning to protest.

"Shhh!" She interrupted, "no speaking during the performance please!"

I rolled my eyes at her, my patience beginning to wain. "If you could just listen for a sec…"

"Oh, now you want to talk? Because a short few minutes ago, you were quite content just standing and staring at me!"

Her voice became louder, and she was practically shouting now. "You think I don't know what I look like?! You think I don't hate what that bastard did to me, and how heinous my body is now?! The last thing I need is for some pretentious Lord to start judging me and staring at me like I'm …"

"Don't you dare make assumptions about me!" I snapped, both with anger at her, for leaping to such conclusions at myself for letting her mind run away with itself, and not intervening sooner. Usually if I raised my voice, people backed down. But not Roza.

"What the hell! As if you think you can turn this around and blame me! You were the one staring at me!"she yelled in response.

"Yes, I was staring, but perhaps, Miss Hathaway, it is you making the assumptions."

"Well, what other reason would there be for you to react in such a way?!" she questioned, incredulously.

And just as she said the words, her beautiful big, brown eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. She knew that it wasn't a response of repulsion to her body, but quite the opposite.

I blushed furiously, I think a first for me in my entire life.

It didn't help matters when she suddenly burst out laughing.

She threw back her head and laughed manically, and Lissa soon joined in her laughter. Soon, they had both collapsed to the floor, with tears in their eyes.

Needless to say, I had never been more mortified in my entire life. And I did not allow people to make a mockery of me. Caught up in my emotions, I had let the fact that I am a Lord escape my mind.

I had to reassert my place, which was most certainly above hers.

"For heaven's sakes. Pull yourself together. Once again, Miss Hathaway, you have made a fool of yourself with your assumptions. I am engaged to one of the most beautiful and eligible women in town. Do you really think that I would have eyes for someone so beneath me as you? I suggest you hurry and get yourself dressed, before you continue to embarrass yourself." It was a complete lie, but I managed to maintain my cold, hard glare at her, determined to prove my power and superiority over them both.

I saw the hurt flash in her eyes, and I instantly regretted my actions. And why had I reacted like that? Because the woman I so desired found that idea completely amusing, indicating she in no way felt the same way about me.

And yet I saw the hurt there. So I had been wrong. Maybe she did feel something after all. She turned away from me, concealing her reaction, before turning back to me, her cocky attitude back once more.

"Well, my Lord, oh high and mighty one" she said mockingly, "I would have gotten changed by now, had I not been disturbed and harassed by a man who claims himself to be a gentleman, storming into a young lady's room without invite, and refusing to leave when asked to."

An unjustifiable anger rose in me, and I had no right to get angry with her. She was right after all, yet my frustration at this whole situation, made me continue in cruel retorts.

"Believe me when I say that I most certainly know what it is like to have an unwelcome visitor." I said, pointedly.

She was stunned momentarily, and I took the opportunity to escape the room before I caused even more pain for the both of us.

What on earth had I just done?

This was not like me at all. I always had my emotions in check. Sure, I had a temper, but I was used to that.

But this…. This strange mixture of feelings is not something I was used to, and I did not like the uncertainty of it.

I had been more than cruel to her, and I could only hope that I could blame it on the alcohol I'd consumed, and that she would believe me when she'd calmed down.

But I knew I would have to watch myself around her. She was far too tempting and alluring for me to watch what I say and do, and to show feelings is to show weakness, as my old Papa literally beat into me.

It was ingrained inside of me, and I would not let all of those years of beatings and taunting be for nothing. And so, without another thought of her, I got myself prepared for the Ball, hoping the evening would be enough to distract me from her.

How wrong I was again.

 ***End of Flashback***

My attention was turned back into present time, towards the Ozera's when their Father stood up and made a speech. He was an elderly man, and not at all handsome, with a wife much younger bountiful in beauty than he stood behind him permanently like a shadow, and from the few tales Lord Ozera and I had exchanged as children, he was not much different to my father.

"Quiet, quiet! Settle down!" He roared, clinking his glass of Port with such ferocity that I was surprised it did not smash before us all.

The volume of the room dimmed to a still silence, no one dared challenge the man's orders. For though he was old, he had a formidable reputation.

"Welcome all to the Grand annual Ozera Ball! A pleasure to see so many old friends, and new acquaintances too. I'm sure you're all quite eager to return to the events of the evening, so I will swiftly move on. As most of you know, my beautiful daughter is due to marry into the prestigious Belikov family, with Lord Belikov over there, a most wonderful match!" He said grinning, shillings spilling out of his greedy, little, grey eyes.

My stomach churned, knowing what was coming next.

"So, without further ado, let us welcome the new couple, and witness their first dance since their engagement!"

Dancing was not something I enjoyed with any woman, and "Tasha", as she insisted I call her despite my protests, was no different.

She, however, positively beamed at me, and sauntered her way across the room, making sure to do so in a way that would make every head turn and follow her.

I sighed and mentally prepared myself.

I took my place in the centre of the Ballroom, opposite Lady Ozera.

She smirked in satisfaction when she saw me, like a cat who got its milk.

The crowd gathered around us at the edges of the room, people whispering and outright staring at us. We had been the talk of the town for quite a while now. I found it rather pathetic the way people gossip so much, as if they had nothing interesting enough in their own lives, to draw them away from others'.

The music started playing, the piano and violins singing a light, melodic waltz.

I bowed down towards her, as she curtseyed, and we both made our way towards each other, linking arms, and swapping sides repeatedly in time to the music.

I would have been quite content with just this, but Tasha, however, appeared to have other plans. She rested one and upon my shoulder, and the other on my side, whilst placing my hands in the same position but on her.

This drew us much closer, and the intimacy was beginning to make me feel nauseous. I stood there, frozen rigidly, as if afraid that I should not be able to control my sickness if I moved any more.

Tasha hissed at me, "Dimka!" I shuddered at her use of a nickname I only let certain people call me, "Move for god's sake. Everyone is watching!"

I glared hard at her, she was playing a dangerous game with me, for every nerve in my body told me this was wrong. "I do not take orders from women." I snarled.

"Well… just do it! I don't care what you have to do, just snap out of… whatever this is! You're making an embarrassment of us both!"

Her petulance was beginning to try my patience, and I could not disguise my anger with her.

"You forget your place, Lady Ozera. Do not think that you can give me orders. I will not marry a woman who refuses to do as I say." My voice was cold and cruel, and I internally flinched at how much I sounded like my father.

She scoffed, and pulled me to her with force, I closed my eyes at the contact, imagining somewhere I wanted to be instead.

And that's when I thought of her. My mind did not do it purposefully, but rather drifted towards the first thing I associated with peace from this hell.

And I found it wandering towards her.

Tasha was no longer in my arms then, but my Roza was. Her beautiful long hair was tied up in an elegant updo, and the dress she wore hugged those curves that I could not erase from my mind from earlier. I pulled us closer together, and I heard her moan at the contact, making me press my body into her, to let her know exactly what she did to me.

We continued dancing, except this time, I danced with purpose and passion. I twirled her effortlessly around the ballroom, ignoring the looks of awe from the spectators, as we glided across the room, feet moving in perfect synchronization with the rhythm. Usually I would have to count to keep track of the time signature _, 1 2 3, 1 2 3,_ but dancing became a second nature to me, as all my attention focused on Roza.

The music was coming to its finale, and I felt a pain in my chest grow, knowing this would end soon.

As the music picked up it's pace and momentum, I picked Roza up, and spun her in the air, earning gasps from the onlookers, before catching her in my arms, and dipping her to the floor.

My face was close to hers, our foreheads nearly touching, and I leant down to press my lips next to hers.

I kissed her lightly, but it did not feel the way I expected it to. It was cold, uninviting, and rather repulsive. I pulled away, confused, and opened my eyes.

But it was not the pair of warm, brown eyes I expected looking back at me, but rather the ice cold ones of Tasha.

I jumped back in shock, and straightened out my clothes. Tasha looked hurt, but I did not care in the slightest.

The room burst into polite applause in appreciation of the show we had out on.

I distinctly heard Lord Ozera calling people to the dance floor, to join us, but did not wait around for the next dance.

I rudely pushed past the crowd of people, and rushed out into the cool night air.

A light fog had descended on the night, seeming to mask the features of the garden in a sea of uncertainty.

It seemed to parallel my own thoughts about my feelings.

I walked around the corner, where the carriages and horses were parked. It was dark around here, and allowed me to have some space away from the Ball.

I leant back against the wall, and sighed.

Before Roza, though I did not like it, the fact I had to marry Lady Ozera did not bother me too much, for it was a marriage of convenience, and was a good match in terms of our ranking in society.

But Roza did something to me that I could not explain. I tried to convince myself that it was just desire, but somehow, in the short time I had come to know her, I knew it was more than that.

But I also knew that nothing would, or could ever happen between us. I had been ridiculous allowing my feelings, whatever they were, to escalate this far, and I had to put and end to them.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Author's note_**

 ** _Thank you everyone for the lovely reviews! 16 last time, which is amazing! Sorry for the late update. It's been a bad few weeks with the depression, but hopefully this chapter, being the length of two, will make it up to you! It took a long time to write, as I didn't want to rush it._**

 ** _It's quite an emotional chapter, and please let me know what you think!_**

 ** _Can we aim for 8 reviews for an update please? :)_**

 _ **P.S Has anyone else been experiencing problems with fanfiction? It crashed for me yesterday, so I had trouble updating. I apologize to those that thought I had updated yesterday.**_

 ** _Much love,_**

 ** _Emma xxx_**

* * *

…"Well. That was certainly a reaction."

Lissa stated. I heard her, but was too wrapped up in my thoughts to answer.

Did he mean what he said…

"Do you really think that I would have eyes for someone so beneath me as you?...Believe me when I say that I most certainly know what it is like to have an unwelcome visitor."

My mind kept replaying those words over and over again, torturing and ridiculing me. I felt like such a fool. A part of me had allowed myself to get carried away with the fantasy that the handsome prince would rescue. That he could find me attractive, maybe as attractive as I found him. But that illusion is now shattered, and I had no intention of humiliating myself by trying to piece together the fragments. I told Lissa all this.

"He didn't mean that. You saw how embarrassed he got. I haven't been working for him that long, but even before that, everytime I met him, he was always pleasant, and I know deep down he is a good man, else he wouldn't have taken me in." Lissa explained.

I mean, I knew part of it made sense, but he hadn't exactly made me feel as welcome from the moment I got here. He made it clear that he didn't want me to stay beyond that first night, and ever since then, although we had shared the occasional intimate moments, he had acted hostile towards me, as if I was the enemy. I had a certain amount of pride, despite my very humble origins, and would no longer lust after a man that could make me feel so undesirable and unwanted. I could've quite happily stayed here all night sulking. But, as much as I wanted to wallow in my own self pity, I had noticed Lissa sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, staring into space, no doubt thinking about her past.

She looked so fragile, so delicate, and it felt too much on her to burden her with all my problems. So, as I have done all my life, I suppressed my own worries, and focused on another.

"You want to talk about it? Your past, I mean." I asked, and she breathed about slowly and nodded gently.

"If you're sure. I don't want to trouble you, especially with what just happened."

I reassured her, and placed my hand on top of hers as a comforting gesture. "I'm sure, if anything, I could do with taking my mind of it. Not that there was really an 'it' so begin with."

"I think he does care for you though. The way he took you in, looked after you, stared at you like you were God's gift on earth! He's never the once looked at Tasha like that!" Lissa tried to console me. But my mind was made up. "It doesn't matter, he said he could never be attracted to someone so beneath him. AND he made it clear that he never wanted me here in the first place! I'm done with him. I've put up with so much shit in my life, that I do not have to live with this!" I exclaimed, startling Lissa with the volume of my voice.

"Sorry…." I whispered, "perhaps you may want to start with your history, or else I'll be ranting and raving like a madman all night!" Lissa laughed, and I patted the spot next to me on the bed. She complied, and soon began to tell me her tragic tale.

"You will already know that I come from royal heritage. This is not my birthright. My father was the Lord Dragomir, and had a fortune of over 15,000. He was the wealthiest landowner, well, only second to Lord Belikov."

My eyes widened at this. I knew Dimitri was rich, but I had no idea he had such an extensive fortune.

"Anyway, I had a happy childhood. Or as much of one as a child in my position can have. Sure, I had a strict upbringing, but my parents always showed me such unconditional love, and my twin brother, Andre, was my best friend. I remember the last Christmas I spent with them. We had exchanged gifts, and had ate our meal, and we all sat in the drawing room, with the fire on. My father and mother had fallen asleep, arms wrapped around each other, and my brother and I were swapping gifts we didn't much care for. It was so peaceful, so perfect, and I would give anything to be able to relive it. To anyone, I'm sure, we looked like the perfect family, who had everything we could wish for, and indeed, it felt that way for me. But how wrong I was." She began getting teary eyes, and her shoulders were shaking, so I wrapped my arms around her, and she leant her head against my chest. The strange thing was, although I hadn't known this girl very long, this felt perfectly natural. I felt protective of her, for some inexplicable reason.

She took another deep breath, and carried on in that timid voice of hers.

"Anyway, as I was saying, we seemed the picture of a perfect family. But little did any of us know the secrets he held. As it turned out, father was a heavy drinker, and beyond that of being a polite socialite. No, he drank into a stupor. And when he drank, he gambled. I knew he did this, as he used to host bridge evenings at our residence quote frequently, but I did not know the extent of it. Nobody did. As it turns out, he squandered all of our money away. He was addicted, as if it was some rare, exotic tobacco he just had to get his fix of. Years we were in debt, and he owed money to some dangerous people. It came to the point where we could no longer afford to keep our house. And if we lost that… we lost our fierce reputation and our pride. He could not bare the thought of is living in such disgrace and ruin, especially at his hands. So he did the only thing he could think of, and began planning his suicide."

I couldn't help but gasp. I knew there must have been some desperate and dire circumstances for Lissa to end up working alongside the likes of me, but never did I imagine this.

She smiled sadly, saying "That's not the worst of it. As he grew closer to desperation, his mind began deteriorating. We knew all this because he kept a diary, hidden away. He had left it to the Ozera's before his death, as Lord Ozera was a good friend of his.

And as his mental state deteriorated, his thoughts and reasoning became sickened by the disease. He began to consider us, and could not face the fact that once he killed himself, he would leave us all to rot in disgrace and poverty. So instead of just killing himself, he planned to kill the rest of us, for "our own good."

I felt tears brim my eyes, and my heart sink under the weight of what she was telling me. "Oh Liss…." I whispered, unable to form any other words due to the lump at the back of my throat.

"He set the house on fire, whilst we were all sleeping one night. He left the gas on, and drugged us all.

I remember that evening, it seemed like a normal evening. We had finished our supper and Andre and I were arguing about who had to bath first. Much to our surprise and delight, father said he would let us off that night. My mother protested, but my father had a charming way about him, and she could never resist him.

He let us partake in the adult activities of the evening,drinking tea and debating articles in the paper. We both felt so grown up, and father regarded us with a sense of pride gleaming in his eyes.

I, however, did not like tea at the time, and my father had insisted I drink it for some bizarre reason. So I pretended to. I took a small mouthful and my father beamed saying, " That's my girl, all grown up." He turned his attention to Andre, who had gulped the whole lot down. I tipped my tea away, in the plant pot beside me.

Anyway, later that night, we all went to bed after mother tucked us in. I felt a little sleepy, but couldn't get to sleep because of Andre's snoring. I threw a pillow at him and yelled at him to be quiet. Except he didn't wake up and yell back at me like usual. I got out of bed and shook him but he didn't budge, just kept snoring. I started screaming at him to wake up, but he wouldn't. I ran to my mother and father, but they were fast asleep too, and that's when I noticed the smoke. It was coming from downstairs, and was spreading fast.

I started screaming and panicking, knowing I had to make a decision, a choice. And I ran back into my room and began to drag Andre out with me. Of course I loved my parents, but Andre meant everything to me, and I knew it would crush me if he died. I began pulling his body into the landing, but it was so heavy, and the smoke was rising up the staircase now. I rolled him onto a rug, and slid him down the stairs, and ran after him. It was only when I got downstairs that I realised how bad the damage was. Everywhere was engulfed in flames, and the smoke soon began to haze my vision, and cause me to start coughing ferociously. I was able to cover my mouth as best as I could with one of my hands, and dragged Andre along with me. I had, miraculously, made it to the entrance door, and had hauled it open. I thought I had just made it, that I had managed to rescue us both. But it was too late. I ran outside, and turned around to pick up the rug once more, but as I did, the ceiling collapsed on him, crushing his body in an instant death…." She trailed off as her whole body became consumed by her sobs.

"I… I just..k-keep thinking… if...only I'd...if only I'd been quicker." her tiny frame collapsed onto mine, and it took everything in me to hold myself together.

"You did everything you could do Lissa! None of this is your fault, so don't you dare blame yourself! You could have chosen to run straight out of there, without a second glance back at anyone. But you tried, you tried as hard as you possibly could. You didn't give up like a coward! And that, Lissa, makes you the bravest person I know. The fact that you were willing to sacrifice yourself for him." Her tears and sobs amplified at this, and I decided just to cradle her in my arms until she'd calmed down.

I couldn't believe what the pure, innocent girl had been through. And yet, she kept that gentle, happy presence about her all the time. I had no idea how she did it.

"It's sounds quite insane, I know. But I do not believe that my father was a bad man, nor do I hate him as others must. I confess there have been times I have wished I could tell him what a sleazy, inconsiderate, irresponsible, maddening-"

"Woah, easy there Lissa." I interrupted.

She smiled meekly at me and laughed softly, "oh sorry. Well anyway, there are times I wish I could tell him how much he hurt me, but I can't hate him. Because I still remember all the good times, and they were the best of times. He was always good to me. He was a good man. No matter what people think.

But well, that is my story. My name was disgraced, as the contents of the diary my father took were exposed by Natasha, who had found it first, and I had no money to my name. My life was in absolute ruin, and that's when Lord Belikov invited me in as his housekeeping. He truly is such a kind man. You should not be so quick to judge him Rose."

Maybe she was right, to an extent. Sure, he had been an absolute arse to me, but he saved Lissa, and not many people with his reputation and power would've given her a second thought. It by no means meant that I forgave him for what he said to me, but it made it easier to think of him as less of a cold, heartless bastard.

She looked stronger now, and sat up. She put a false smile on and said "Your turn now Rose."

I gulped loudly. I hadn't told anyone the whole story, and as wrong as it was for me to think this way, I couldn't help but worry what Lissa would think of me, once she knew of my rough upbringing. And I also didn't want to burden her with my pain, seeing as she was going through so much already.

She saw my hesitation and groaned loudly, "Awww come on Rose! I told you, it's only fair that you tell me!"

I sighed, raising my hands in defeat. "Fine. But it's not a pleasant story. So don't say I didn't warn you!" She merely looked at me expectantly, and suppressing the urge to run out of the room, I began to tell her about my life.

"My mother and I were quite content on our own for many years in our rundown little house. We were never very close, but she did her own thing, and I did mine. My father had left at a young age, leaving my whore of a mother to raise me alone as a bastard. As you can tell, life was already difficult enough, as I was the daughter of a prostitute, and was forever shunned by the community. But I had little to complain about really. My mother's…'business' kept us going, and I had a close childhood friend, Mason to keep me company. He was an orphan, and lived in the local orphanage nearby.

One day, Mason and I were out playing in the fields at the back of my house, whilst mother attended to one of her customers. However, this particular customer, I had noticed, was becoming more of a regular by the day, and I began to think there was something more going on. And, as it turns out, my suspicions were proven correct when my mother interrupted our play outside and called me in. I walked into the kitchen, grabbing a thick piece of bread as I passed, and stood still, mid bite, to see her hand in hand with an old fellow. And I mean old. He was tall and stocky, and had a rather queer face. He had a bulbous nose, and a weedy little moustache beneath it. I, being the loudmouth that I am, immediately shouted, "Who the hell is this?!" Bits of bread spraying out of my mouth as I challenged the man in front of me." Lissa laughed out loud at this, and I let out a little giggle of my own, and shrugged.

"Mother gasped and told me to stop being so impudent, but the man laughed boisterously, and said he liked a girl with spirit. And after that, I took an instant like to him. He was slowly introduced into our lives, and looked after us. His job meant mother no longer needed to work, and he even invited Mason our often, and treated him like one of the family. But then he lost his job and everything changed. He began hitting my mother, taking his frustration out on her. He didn't care that I was in the house, and he stopped treating me like I was his daughter. He became verbally abusive to me, calling me all sorts of names, until he began physically abusing me in place of my mother when I tried to protect her. He became a monster within the space of a few short months. And my mother… she was no better. She did not try to save me as I did her, but instead joined in the ridicule and beatings. I was no longer allowed to see Mason, but it didn't stop me from sneaking out at night. He was the only thing that kept me going. He threatened to beat up Stan every time he saw me with fresh bruises, though we both knew he wouldn't stand a chance. He would come up with new ways to beat him up each time I saw him, and they became more ludicrous with every bruise."

I smiled at the memory of sweet Mason, and my mind wondered back to one night that I had climbed out of my window to see him.

 ** _Flashback_** *

I ran across the fields and leapt over the fence to meet Mason at our secret hiding spot by the tree stump, hidden in the tall wheat of the field. The night was calm, peaceful and still. The stars twinkled in the sky, and the moon shone down on the wheat, casting a golden glow around me. I craved moments like this, when my life seemed a world away from the torture it truly was. I breathed in the fresh air, and lay down in the wheat, closing my eyes for a short while. I ran my fingers through the cool, soft strands of wheat, and breathed in the clean fresh air, allowing myself a few moments to revel in the peace.

When no sign of Mason appeared, I began to panic. I shot up and ran around trying to find him. I was just about to give up and slouch home, when I felt a tap on my shoulder and span around to see his devil may care smile and beautiful blue eyes. "Oh my God! Mason! Thank Lord!" I squealed and wrapped my arms around him. He laughed loudly and retorted, "I'm used to that sort of reaction from the ladies." I snorted loudly and pushed him away gently. "Shame that we both know that I am no lady then!" To which he readily agreed, and I gasped in mock offense, causing us both to laugh heartily again. He took my hand and led me to a spot in the field that was covered by the trees, but still allowed the moon to shine down on us. We both lay down in the field and held hands. I didn't like to be touched by anyone, and would always flinch at the slightest of things, but Mason made me feel safe and protected, though I always said I could take care of myself. We lay there in silence. We were such good friends that we didn't feel the need to fill it with idle and awkward conversation.

"It's a beautiful night." I muttered softly, and turned my face to see his.

His face suddenly became more serious, causing my own to frown. His face was not meant for such an expression, and it ruined his good charming looks considerably.

"Let me see." He said, voice stern and good of emotion.

I swallowed harshly, and lifted my skirt to show two large hand shaped marks on my thighs marring my skin. His eyes widened and I grimaced at the memory.

"Oh God Rose…." He started and I turned away to hide the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Did… did he?" His voice broke, and I understood why. Stan had been…. Exploring different parts of my body, shall we say, since signs of my adulthood were beginning to show.

"No… not yet." I whisper, but he had been dangerously close this time.

"That bastard!" Mason suddenly yelled, and I jumped from his suddenness.

"Oh yeah? Well, what are you going do this time to stop him?" I queried. I always loved Mason's daft ideas. Maybe it was wrong to make light of the situation, but it helped us both live with the pain.

His red brow furrowed in concentration, and he scratched the top of his head.

"Ah!" He exclaimed, sitting up. "I propose a most excellent idea!" He professed, and I struggled to contain my laughter. "Pray tell then, good sir."

He smiled and complied my wish. "Very well then Miss. But be prepared for the brilliance of it! You know dear old Mr Stavers at the end of the Lane?" I nodded, everyone knew Mr Stavers. He was a terribly grumpy old man, that charged extortionate process for his produce, knowing he full well could do seeing as it was the main source of food locally.

"Well, I was thinking, he seems to be a little short of his hens as of late, no?" I rose my eyebrows in confusion (as I could not yet raise one alone).

"He is, I tell you. And he could do with a fine addition. A rather large addition. And seeing as Stan isn't good for much else, why not help him along the way of finding his true calling?" I laughed out loud, truly puzzled by his strange idea.

"We start by covering our dear friend in lashings of black tar. We then proceed to cover him in feathers, and take him to Mr Stavers. Stan will no doubt disguise himself well, being the true bird brain that he is, and no one will be any the wiser as to his true identity.

And with him being the largest hen of them all." Mason continued, "He will undoubtedly be picked first by interested customers! All that is left is for them to take him home, and let the roasting commence!" He exclaimed, leaning back, proud of himself for thinking of such an ingenious idea. I, myself, was now in fits of laughter, both at the ridiculousness of his idea, and his smug expression. Only Mason could make me smile through the worst time of my life, and see that not all people were bad and rotten on the inside. I crawled over to him and laid my head on his chest.

"We'll escape from here one day Rose. Just you wait. I'll keep working at the factory, and when I have enough, we'll go. You won't ever have to see them again, and I will protect you as your friend and your husband." Mason whispered.

I didn't say anything in response. This was largely because I didn't dare get my hopes up of escaping, and though I loved Mason dearly, I did not care for him the same way he did for me. Instead, I started humming our song. It was the "raindrop" prelude by Chopin, and he soon joined in. I stroked his red mane, and soon fell asleep on his chest, knowing that in a few hours time, I would be back in hell again.

 ** _End of flashback_** *

Tears were now flowing down my face at the memory of Mason. I seldom allowed myself to remember him, as the image was too painful to bear. Lissa squeezed me hard in a bear hug, and brought me back to reality. I smiled at her and sighed. "Mason was my best friend… without him, there is no way I would have survived all the years of abuse. I would have gone insane, I know. And it's because of him, that I'm here now. He helped me realise that I deserved more than that life. But in doing so, it cost him his own. One night, Stan had come home late from drinking, and I thought he was already in bed. It was early morning now, and the time that I meet Mason, but this time, he caught me unexpectedly, whilst I was attempting to escape. He yanked me from the window, and threw me onto the bed. He… he tore off all my clothes, and tried to… tried to rape me." My whole body was trembling now, as I relived the moment and the fear and repulsion that courses through my veins as his hands touched me. "And he would have done, if it were not for Mason. But he saved me. He knew that it was odd that I hadn't met him, as even when I had shattered bones, I would crawl to him if it meant I could escape. He told me that when I could not see him, for instance, I'd I was locked away under the stairs, then he would check on me. He climbed through the window, and the next minute I knew, he was on top of Stan, having knocked him onto the floor, beating him up. But Stan was too strong, we both knew that, and it wasn't long before he took control. I started screaming at him to stop, and tried to hit his head with my lantern, but he pushed me off easily, and I slumped to the floor, with my vision fading. The last thing I saw before I closed my eyes, was Mason's dead, limp body, lying in a pool of blood. He killed him. And when I awoke the next day, Mason, and any trace of his murder, were gone. I screamed at Stan to tell me where he was, and that I would inform the police. But Stan merely shrugged and said "He was an orphan boy. Nobody cares if he is dead, and nobody will come looking. If you tell the police, they will have you for wasting their time." And the worst thing was, was that I knew he was right. The police didn't care about rundown areas such as ours. And they didn't give a damn about orphans that went missing. He had got away with murder. The murder of my best friend. Months went by, and Stan continued to assault me, and this time, I did not care. I felt numb and paralysed. I feared this was my life now, and there was nothing I could do to change it.

But one day, things changed. Something happened that got through to my vacant state of mind. Stan had been careful to avoid sexually attacking me since that incident, but he called me down one night to discuss something. I say discuss, there was no choice about it. He leered over me when I entered, and my skin crawled, knowing that whatever he wanted to 'discuss' could not be good news. My mother sat next to him, and I stood before them, bowing my head.

Stan cleared his throat, before starting off in that disgusting nasal voice of his. "It has come to my attention, dear Rosemarie" I shuddered, hating that he used that name for me, "that you have been taking advantage of our hospitality for quite some time now." My eyes widened, and I struggled to bite my lip, or launch myself at him, for suggesting such a thing. "Therefore, I have made a decision. You may as well start earning if you wish to stay. You have a beautiful, innocent body going to waste there, and many a man would pay a pretty penny for a whore like you."

I stood there in shock. I couldn't believe what he was actually suggesting I do. And neither could my mother, actually. "We needn't resort to that, Stan, I can always go back to my job. If that's what we need to earn money again, but not her…" my heart softened at this. This was the first time I'd ever heard my mother defend me. She looked at me, eyes wide in fear. She knew what sort of life that was, and didn't want that for me. But Stan was immediately dismissive, "Hush now, woman. You are far too old for any man to find you desirable. Why would we put you up for sale when we have a cleaner, more beautiful young model at our disposal." My mother didn't say anything, clearly hurt by his words, but I had since overcome my shock, and my anger was no longer containable.

"How dare you plan to use me at 'your disposal'! I am not some object that you have control over! This is my life! And I will not do it!" I yelled at him. I had never been so furious in all my life. Stan merely chuckled.

"But you have no choice, you and I know you will never leave. You are mine, you have been since I first lay a hand on you. I marked you as my own, and it's about time I got my reward for putting up with such a spoilt little bitch. And that can start with testing out the goods." He stood up and began to unbuckle his pants. My mother sat there, silently crying, as be took a step towards me and roughly grabbed my wrists. I tried desperately to twist out of his hold, but it was no use, it merely allowed me to turn my back to him. I could feel his hot, foul breath on my neck and I stood as still as I could, and decided to wait until it was over.

But just as his hands began to glide over me, I heard a loud bang, and his body slumped against me.

I yelped and jumped away, only to see my mother standing behind us with a saucepan in her hand.

She simply said "Go." Her eyes were filled with sadness, and I wasn't sure that I could leave her, my own mother, with this monster. She saw me debating this, and gave me a hug, as means of a goodbye. It was an awkward one, but it was the closest to affection she'd ever shown to me, and it hurt that she only chose to act this way now that I had a choose to leave.

Stan's body began to stir.

My mind flitted back to Mason. He had died to protect me, to give me some chance of escaping and living that life he always said we deserved. And I knew his death could not be in vain, without a seconds thought, I ran. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, despite hearing Stan hot on my tail. It was pure chance that there was a wagon going into town that managed I to hop on, or else he would have caught up to me.

And that's why I'm here now. I escaped, with nothing to my name, and roamed the streets stealing to survive. Lord Belikov found me a week later, and if it were not for him…. I don't know what would have happened to me."

There was a silence after I finished, and I was afraid that the worst fear in me was right, that Lissa was judging me and my lower than lower class upbringing. But she surprised me and wrapped her arms around me, and I burst out into tears.

"I… I miss him so much Liss…." I cried, allowing the burden of grief that I had been suppressing since his death reveal itself. I had not cried since he died, and now… now I was able to show my weaknesses. I did not have to pretend to be strong to survive. Now I could truly mourn Mason, the way that he deserved. And though I was an atheist, I wished to God, that he could see me now, wherever the hell he was, and know that he was loved so much.

We stayed like that for what must've been hours, until we eventually fell asleep from exhaustion.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Author's note_**

 ** _Sorry for the delay, turns out I reacted pretty badly to my medication, and had serotonin syndrome, which can be life threatening. I have felt awful the past week or so, in particular the past few days, as I ended up I'm A &E, so please forgive me for being late updating._**

 ** _I only got 7 reviews for the last chapter, and I got over 14 for the one prior! Maybe we can push for more? I have loved writing this chapter, and would love to hear your thoughts on a particular character I've now introduced ;)_**

 ** _Thank you to those who have reviewed, you guys are awesome._**

 ** _Can we beat seven this time?_**

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _Emma xxx_**

* * *

 **Two months later- RPOV**

Things had remained pretty much the same over the course of the past few months. Lissa and I had formed a tight and close friendship since opening up to each other about our past, and it felt as though we had been childhood friends all this time. Though she hadn't been in my life very long, it was now difficult to see it without her.

She helped me cope too around the house. She taught me several skills and chores such as sewing and polishing, and helped me settle into the Belikov routine, or rather, the female Belikovs' routine, because I had very little contact with the Lord himself. According to Lissa, he specifically requested help from the other housekeep, and made it clear that the two of us were to assist the ladies.

The manor being so large and everything, meant that we seldom bumped into each other accidentally. I knew that he was avoiding me, and though I knew the reason why (my being naked, and him seeing me, that is) it still hurt me somewhat. Which was ridiculous, I know, because he could be a complete arse.

On the few occasions that we did happen to stumble across one another, it was purely professional, and brief.

But, I must confess, that to some degree, I welcomed the break. It meant that I could fully settle here, and get to know the Belikov family more. It also meant neither of us had to confront the other about the incident.

I was truly enjoying my time here, though it could be tedious, and exhausting, and I felt truly blessed that I was living this life, as opposed to the one that I could have been living, had I not left my home when I did.

It was another repetitive day, a Saturday actually, when Lord Belikov approached me with purpose for the first time in quite a while.

I was busy preparing preparing breakfast with Lissa, laughing about the night before. I had knocked over an expensive artifact, one that his Lordship had boasted about the cost of purchase, and had replaced it with a pot from the garden, without him noticing the difference.

I had started doing my impression of Dimitri, one that had won me many a friend amongst the other housekeep.

"Come, gather round people, bow down in awe at my ostentatious and size of my ego!" The other maids burst out into hysterics, but I noticed Lissa's face suddenly became more serious.

"Err… Rose…" Lissa interrupted, but I quickly hushed her and continued in my terrible attempt at a Russian accent.

"Do not speak to me peasant, I am Lord Belikov the Great! You are not worthy to be in my company, unless you are my footstool!"

I expected another round of laughter from the maids, but everyone shut up quickly and looked down.

I sighed dramatically, "Goodness, lighten up people! Anyone would think he was standing right behind me!" I started laughing, but when their eyes widened and became panic stricken, it soon died down awkwardly. Oh crap.

I turned around to find him standing right behind me. And I mean, right up close.

"SHIT!" I cried out, "You scared the Hell out of me…sir" I quickly added on the end.

Now, anybody else, with a sense of humour, I'm sure, would've found that rather amusing.

But his face was… shall we say, more than less amused. In fact, that was an understatement. He looked mightily pissed off.

"Glad to see that you've benefited from your time with more tasteful company, and that you have finally learnt to control that foul mouth of yours since you've been residing here, Miss Hathaway." He muttered, sarcasm dripping off his tongue.

He was trying to embarass me, and once again shame me for my less than classy upbringing.

And though I was slightly humiliated that he had caught me mocking him, as usual, I covered up my insecurities with attitude.

I narrowed my eyes at him, and put my hands on my hips defiantly.

"Oh! My goodness gracious me! How terribly forgetful of me! I'm afraid I've missed a few of the elocution lessons prepared for me due to that fact that...well, I've been doing my job, like you hired me to do." I replied, equally sarcastic.

He sneered at me, and continued with the sarcasm.

"Oh, this… " he gestured his arms widely around us, "this is the job you're doing?! How wonderful it must be to get paid for standing around doing nothing all day."

"Oh, and you would know what sort of things I do, and how just how much I work my ass here, because it's not as if you've been avoiding me or something, for a reason we all know!" I said pointedly. I knew I was pushing it now, and that I should probably stop, but for some reason, my mouth kept going without engaging my brain first.

His handsome face had become impossibly red with anger. I knew I had massive stepped out of place here. He ignored my reference to him seeing me naked, for obvious reasons, and continued in that deep accented voice that was doing dangerous things to my body. Damn. Why did he do this to me? I even found arguing with him a turn on.

"Avoiding you? Please pray tell Miss Hathaway, what makes you think I am avoiding you? This may be news to you, but not everyone's lives revolve around you and your beauty."

I was just about to make a snide reply, when I stood there in shock. Did he just call me beautiful? I stared at him in shock, as he too realised what he said and looked away. Before he turned, I thought I caught a glimpse of embarrassment. But it was gone before I could tell for sure.

Due to our heated argument, both of us had forgotten about the others in the room until Lissa, now being the only one that remained, cleared her throat to cover up the awkward silence, and we had found ourselves practically pressed up against each other.

Noticing this intimate position, I found myself becoming aroused once more, and if I wasn't mistaken, could feel his arousal pressing up against my abdomen.

We both leapt back away from each other, and I tried but to no avail to get rid of the hideous blush that was creeping up on my face. Mortified didn't cover it. Though, a part of me was a little smug that I could get such a reaction from him.

When I did finally look back up at him, his face showed no trace of what just happened. How the hell could he do that?!

"I actually wished to speak to you, that is, if you are quite mature enough to recover yourself." I decided I could not be bothered with another argument with him, and just nodded.

"I wish for you and Miss Dragomir to accompany my sister's into town. I do not trust them by themselves, as there are quite a few men who… shall we say, are not up to the Belikov calibre, but attempt to woo them anyway. You are to ensure that they are not only safe, but that they do not acquire any new suitors whilst they are out. Do you understand?"

I doubt I would have accepted, or gone voluntarily, as I considered this rather oppressive and controlling. Those women were more than capable of sorting out their own life affairs without their older brother meddling in it.

But Lissa jumped in and accepted before I could possibly protest, and he turned away sharp on his heel, not even bothering to turn around to us as he said "You shall leave in an hour, sharpish. Oh, and by the way Miss Hathaway, I did not find the stunt with the garden pot amusing in the slightest." And he disappeared around the corner.

I groaned loudly, burying my face in my hands at the fact that I had to go out, and he found out I'd switched the antique. I lifted my head up and glared at Lissa, but Lissa was quick to reassure me that this was a good idea.

"Hey! Don't look at me like that! I did us both a favour! We get to escape this house for a while. It will be fun I promise!"

I rolled my eyes at her, until I actually churned the idea around in my head.

"Hmmm actually Liss, I think you're right." She practically beamed at me. I continued, "it will be fun, and especially because he didn't say anything about us checking out the handsome men!" I sang, and waggled my eyebrows suggestively.

It was Lissa's turn to moan, and had it not been for the limited time we had to get ready, I'm sure she would have lectured me on my intents.

An hour later, we were ready for our ventures. Viktoria had insisted that Lissa and I wear proper clothes, as opposed to our Maid's outfits, because she didn't want us to embarrass her. She had let us borrow her clothes, and I wore a corset under my white dress, and a crinoline under my skirt, making the petticoat skirt wider.

My figure had filled out in the time that I had spent here, and my breasts in particular, were accentuated by the gown. My outfit, though incredible to me and what I was used to, was the scruffiest that Viktoria wore, so I was extremely surprised to find them all gawping at me when I came to join them outside.

"Goodness me Rose! I think even with all the fruit on offer there, your melons with stand out as the most desirable!" Viktoria joked, earning her a scolding from her older sisters.

Sonya looked me up and down in clear disdain, and wrinkled her nose.

"I would have thought that you'd have the decency to cover yourself more. You look like a cheap whore." Sonya said to me, as we set off into town.

"Woah! It's not as if I can help this at all! This was the best fitting one we could find, right Viktoria?" I protested, defending myself.

Viktoria nodded in agreement, "I wasn't about to give her my best clothes either was I?! You're just jealous that you have the figure of a stick, and the personality to match!" She exclaimed, and the rest of us tried our hardest to cover up our amused giggles.

"Besides" she continued, "It's not as if you are one to lecture her on whore like behaviour!"

Everyone went quiet at this remark, and Sonya in particular, looked deeply upset by it. With the snide remarks and mean demeanor, it was easy to forget the heartbreak she must have endured when she was knocked up, and had the child taken away from her to the religious house.

I actually felt sorry for her right then, and decided to change the subject to the men we were going to meet in town.

And though Lissa shot me a disapproving glare, Sonya smiled slightly and nodded her thanks to me. It wasn't much, but I knew the small gesture meant that she was grateful.

The rest of the journey went wonderfully, and I loved the feeling of the fresh air and exercise, despite the incessant groans of Vika about her legs aching, or skirt getting muddy.

We continued along the country path, until we arrived into town.

The town was bustling with activity, markets set up here and there, selling anything from fruit, to ointments, to knock off clothing.

I felt the most relaxed that I had done in a while. There was no pressure to be something I was not here, and I could pretend it was one of those days with Mason I used to spend at the markets, where I fit in amongst my sort of people, as opposed to standing out like a sore thumb as I did at the manor.

We weaved in and out of the crowd, and we were all excited and laughing away as we chatted. The Belikov sisters did not make Lissa or I feel like we were beneath them, but instead treated us as if we were their friends.

It suddenly dawned on me that this was perhaps the reason that Dimitri had sent us to go with them. After all, he could have easily picked the other maids over us. Perhaps, it was as Lissa said before, that I had placed too much prejudice on the man, and he did, indeed, have the kind heart that Lissa claimed he had. I felt a smile play on my lips at this, and my heart swell with happiness. Though I wasn't sure if Lord Belikov actually liked me, his pride did not mean that he held it against me.

We were currently admiring an array of bonnets, when the sound of hooves came bounding into the streets, dividing the path as men belonging to the Calvary rushed in, before halting suddenly.

"Oooooh, the soldiers! They must be based here for a while!" Viktoria screamed with excitement, clapping her hands in anticipation. And indeed, it seemed, the rest of the crowd were equally enthralled by the men who arrived.

"These are the men we could get into all kind of troubles with!" She giggled next to me. Karolina joined in her excitement, but I noticed Sonya had disappeared. Guess she actually took Dimitri on.

One of the men's horses suddenly became spooked by the sound of shrieks by a group of over enthused women to the left of us, and it kicked its front legs in the air, knocking a full wagon of apples away from its clasp on a stall.

The wagon began to slip down the incline, and apples began to fall off, bouncing everywhere. the other girls shrieked and ran to dodge them, but just as I thought I had made it out of the way, an apple flew off the cart, and I slipped over it, landing face first in the mud unceremoniously, covering my entire front in mud.

"Urggghhhh! For God's sakes! These are the nicest clothes I've ever worn, and the prettiest I've ever felt, ten minutes out of the house, and I've ruined them already!"

A posh, very English voice called out to me.

"It's quite okay my dear, I'm positive that you look just as good out of them too."

I looked up, about to unleash all sorts of profanities at the man who dared to say that, when I noticed the horse hooves.

I continued my gaze upwards, and found a most handsome man sitting upon the beast, dressed in his red military suit jacket and black pants. He had incredibly piercing green eyes, that contrasted greatly with his pale complexion, and brown sandy hair.

I finally noticed that I had been gawping at the man for some time now, and covered up my embarrassment by asking,

"So you're just going to stand there and watch a damsel in distress, or do you fancy kicking your arse into gear and helping me up like a gentleman?"

His face took on a look of shock, before he burst out laughing, his whole form shaking.

"Quite a feisty one here boys!" He said in between gasps for air.

"Well?" I questioned, quickly becoming impatient and irked at his mocking laughter.

He climbed off his horse, smirking, and said, "very well my dear, but I must warn you, gentle I am not" referring to my earlier request that he be a gentleman.

I was thankful for the mud on my face at that point, as it covered up the flush of embarrassment.

He reached down, and clasped my dirtied hand, and pulled me upright. There were no sparks like I felt with Dimitri, but there was definitely an attraction there.

He handed me a handkerchief to wipe my face over, and once I had done, and brushed off what I could from my clothing, his eyes widened, and he whistled loudly.

"My my Miss, I can now see that you have the most charming face to match. that wonderful physique of yours!" He practically gushed, eyeing me up and down.

Now usually I would have punched a man for a comment like that, but on him, it seemed almost charming.

"Don't you want to find out if my name is just as eye catching as the rest of me?" I smirked cockily, crossing my arms. I could see Lissa rolling her eyes at my shameless flirting out of the corner of my eyes.

"It would be an honour, ma'am, I couldn't let such a beautiful woman leave my company without at least knowing her name." He leant back against his horse, and gave me a smile that made the girl next to me swoon.

I rolled my eyes and winked at him. "Miss Hathaway, but you, sir, may call me Rose." I gave him my man eating smile, and his eyes darkened with undeniable desire.

"What a beautifully exotic name, my sweet Rose." He said in a husky voice, as he took my hand, and gently graced his lips with the back of it, sending shivers along my body.

"Aren't you going to tell me your name? I thought gentleman were supposed to introduce themselves to ladies?" I teased, and he straightened up, and gave me a seductive smile in return.

"I am quite positive I already clarified that I am no gentleman earlier… but I find most women prefer it that way." I felt heat rise in my body, and though all my instincts were screaming at me in warning against him, I couldn't shake myself from the pull I felt towards about this man was dangerous and enigmatic, yet strangely enthralling. He knew how to play a woman, and though he was succeeding in enrapturing me in his honey trap, I was determined not to let him think he had won me so easily.

"You will find that I am not most women though, Mr…..?" I questioned him, and he once again laughed at my boldness and persistence, before his eyes took on a look of lust.

"You are indeed not like most women." He said to me, suddenly serious, and the way he was staring at me, with such desire, made me feel like I was stripped naked before him. He sighed and ran a hand through his perfectly tousled hair, and said,

"Very well, Rose. Seeing as you are so eager to know all about me, I shall tell you my name, so that you can forever remember it in the many dreams you are bound to have about me in the future." It was my turn to laugh, and I scoffed at him, hoping that I was hiding the fact that he was, in some ways, quite right. I most certainly would not be able to forget this man in a while .

He gave me a dramatic bow, his head almost touching the floor, and drawled:

"Mr Ivashkov, my darling, at your service."


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's note**_

 ** _I was made aware that I am getting quite annoying with asking for reviews, so will promise to tone it down. By mean of an apology, I have busted my butt trying to get this chapter done, and hopefully it makes it up to you :)_**

 ** _Obviously reviews are still appreciated, and I would still like them, but I will stop asking for set amounts!_**

 ** _I'm sorry if I have upset some people! It was never my intention._**

 ** _Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed._**

 ** _P.S Requests for a DPOV have been noted, and you will get your wishes soon… ;P_**

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _Emma xxx_**

* * *

 **RPOV**

"Oh my God, today was amazing!" Viktoria gushed, twirling around as she skipped along the country path on the way back to the manor.

Everyone was smiling, well, besides Sonya. But then again, I don't think she had smiled since birth.

"I know!' Lissa exclaimed, "All of the different clothes and food–"

"And all those men!" Viktoria and I interjected at the same time, causing us all to laugh, and Lissa shook her head in despair at us both.

"They were all so good looking!" Vika exclaimed, " Although, I'm sure you could put a rabid pig in a soldier uniform, and I would still fall head over heels for it."

We all scrunched up our faces at her suggestion, and she laughed it off saying "Hey?! What can I say?! I'm a sucker for the uniform!" And we all started giggling away again.

"Don't let Lord Belikov hear you saying such crude things, Victoria." Lissa warned, but Vika merely scoffed.

"That man… he thinks he is the boss of me! He's turning into father far too much these days."

It was not Karolina's turn to scoff as she said "You were far too young to know just how terrible father was. Do not be so naïve child. Dimka is nothing like him, and nor will he ever be." Karlolina seemed like the sensible one to me, though still caring, much like Olena.

Vika, however, was the child of the family after all and continued rolling her eyes and dismissing everyone else. "I'm not the stupid little girl everyone insists I am!" She cried petulantly, rather juxtaposing the point she was trying to make.

"I never said you were stupid, but you are still a child, and you have no place or say in what Father was like. It is a huge insult to suggest Dimka is anywhere near like him."

The two carried on arguing like this for the majority of the journey, but Sonya remained quiet. This was particularly odd, because she usually liked to join an argument wherever she could. I stared at her for a moment, she was undeniably beautiful, with a tall, slim figure that could make any girl jealous, including myself. But she never made the most of herself, as if she wanted to attract as little attention from the opposite sex as possible. And the way she disappeared as soon as the Cavalry arrived… it was certainly peculiar.

My musings were interrupted when Viktoria suddenly pounced on me.

"But you Rose," she turned to me, and I attempted, and failed miserably, to raise my eyebrow in question, "You struck Gold today! You got the most handsome one out of the bunch!"

I blushed slightly, remembering how brash and bold I had been with a stranger, and turned away, embarrassed. The movement did not escape her notice.

"Oh don't pretend to go all shy on us now! You were making that poor man work for your affection, anything but shy if you ask me!" She teased.

"I mean, not only were you covered head to tail in mud, a usual turn off for gentleman, but you kept him at arm's length the entire time! And still he is besotted with you! He is notorious for getting any woman he sets his eyes on easily, and has no trouble sweet talking his way into their bed, but you… you gave him as good as he was giving!"

I laughed heartily, it was true. We had continued flirting with each other, until we had to leave in order to be back for our luncheon, he had tried several times to convince me to go on a date with him, but I kept my defense up.

Sure I had enjoyed the harmless flirtation, but I wasn't ready yet. Though I kept telling myself it was because I was still new around here, and he would not find me attractive if he saw me underneath the flattering attire, a voice at the back of my mind kept telling me it was because of _him_ , Lord Belikov. Which was ridiculous, because I had no intention to court him, and I'm sure he could not think of anything more physically revolting than to court someone as lowly as me.

"Earth to Rose!" Vika yelled, as she once again caught me mid-thought, " I was just saying how fierce you were, and how naughty you were leading that poor man on!"

"Who? Me?!" I gasped in mock surprise and offense, placing my hand on my forehead dramatically, "Oh my sorry heart! How could you suggest such a thing! I am nothing if not innocent!" we were back at the Manor now, and I had turned to face the others behind me.

"Somehow I doubt that very much, Miss Hathaway" someone chuckled behind me, and I swirled around to find Lord Belikov standing behind me, with an amused expression on his face.

Any thoughts of Mr Ivashkov soon fled from my mind, as I drank the Russian God in. Though Mr Ivashkov was undoubtedly handsome, his beauty suddenly seemed paled in comparison to the man before me. He had his hair loose, brushing his shoulders, today, and a pair of grey trousers and shirt to match. He had not bothered with the waistcoat today, and actually wore his shirt buttoned down slightly, with the sleeves rolled up, allowing me enough of a glimpse at his toned body that it made my knees weak.

But what struck me more than his physical appearance, despite how mouth watering it was, was his smile.

His eyes twinkled with a light heartedness and teasing nature I had not seen often, and I felt my breath catch at the back of my throat when he caught my eye. It wasn't very loud, but audible enough for him to hear, which in turn made his smile even wider, and I blushed under his playful gaze.

When Mr Ivashkov smiled at me, it was without doubt one that could make a girl faint before him, but Dimitri…. It was a whole different league, the way it was so natural and rare merely added to it's appeal.

I had never seen him so relaxed before, and in so much of a good mood.

"Pray tell, did you have a good time?" He asked us all, and Viktoria started rambling about all the different clothes, food etc.

His smiled remained, whilst he watched his little sister chatter excitedly, and his eyes flickered to me every so often, and my heart fluttered each time I caught him looking.

"Oh! My girls, you're back in one piece!" Olena rushed out of the house to meet is outside the manor, "You have no idea how much I frett and worry when you're absent!" She sobbed, and Vika ran to her and wrapped her arms around her.

"Mother you are so daft! We are all big and grown up, not those young girls anymore!" Vika giggled, and her point was proven as she towered over her mother as they embraced.

"I know, I know" Olena replied, "You're all back safe and sound now, so I can relax for the time being. You had a good time I take it?" We all nodded and she smiled, relieved, "None of you have come back engaged I hope?" She joked. Everybody shook their heads, but then Vika exclaimed "Not quite!"

Dimitri's head shot up at those words, and he practically growled and spoke in a low voice, "Excuse me?!"

Everybody else stopped laughing immediately except Viktoria, of course.

"Don't worry silly, not me!" His shoulders visibly relaxed as he sighed in relief.

"...It was Rose!" She pointed at me, and I gulped loudly. Oh shit. I shot daggers at Vika through narrowed eyes and she shrugged. Oh how I was going to kill her when I next saw her alone, and how I was going to enjoy it.

If I thought the daggers I were shooting her were dangerous, then the ones Dimitri were shooting at me were outright deadly.

His fists balled up at his sides, and he shook anger.

"Who?" He questioned, an impossible amount of menace shot into that one word.

"Why does it matter who?" I asked defiantly. He had no reason to be like this, I wasn't his sister.

"Who?!" He shouted this time, and I remained silent, not willing to give him the satisfaction.

Again, Vika dropped me in it again, but this time unwittingly.

"Calm down Dimka! He's a lovely man, and terribly handsome, she could do much wors-"

"Who. Is. It." He spoke, through gritted teeth.

Vika rolled her eyes at him. "Goodness, you really are like Father" she muttered, and he flinched, an expression of pain passing across his handsome features, before he slipped that mask on again. He stared hard at her, and she eventually cracked.

"Fine. Mr Ivashkov! You happy now?! Sorry Rose".

He stood there in shock, expression frozen in disbelief and horror.

Without another word he grabbed me roughly by the arm and led me into the garden.

He dragged me into the maze, the hedges rising high above my head, but just a little over his.

We continued weaving in and out of the maze, until we came to a small clearing. It was beautiful.

It had a small fountain, crystal clear water flowing gracefully over the top and cascading over the smooth sides. There was a small wooden bench sat in front of it, with vibrant flowers blooming all around us.

It would have been even more beautiful, if it were not for the angry Russian standing in front of me distracting my view.

He let go off my arm and I rubber the spot he had grabbed. There was surprised to he a bruise tomorrow.

"How could you be so foolish!" He hissed at me, glaring down at me in a way that made me feel smaller than the small height I already was.

"Do you not know who that man is?! He is dangerous and ruthless, and sly and manipulative. He will ruin you in moments without a second though!"

"How am I supposed to know all this, I've only just met him!"

"Yes, you have, and yet it seems you have already ensured that you have well aquainted yourself with him." He sneered.

"Just what the hell is that supposed to mean 'ensured I have well aquainted myself with him'?" I yelled.

"You know perfectly well what I mean by that, especially when you're dressed like a whore." He glared back at me, and I was just about to give him a piece of my mind, and tell him how wrong he was, when a voice in the distance called out his name.

"Dimka?! Oh Dimka?! Where are you? I can't find you in this blasted thing. And I don't want to dirty my clothes!"

I saw Dimitri grimace at the side of me, and I didn't blame him. She, who ever she was, had the most irksome voice in existence

"My God, who the hell is that? She has the most annoyingly squeaky voice I have ever heard." I muttered, and Dimitri shot me a dark look and told me to "Be quiet."

"I am out for a stroll my darling. I will catch up with you some other time."

He shouted. 'Darling?'...

Oh great. This must be his fiance. I felt a pang of jealously shoot through me, and I mentally chastised myself for it.

"Awwwww, but Diimmkkkaaaaa, I was having so much fun with you earlier before your family came back."

She wailed petulantly, and I couldn't help but snigger. Not that I really tried to hide it anyway .

He told her that he would "Speak to her another time." And she soon left after a lot of convincing.

I mean, there's adoration and then there's desperate.

Now that we were alone again, he turned to face me, and I couldn't help myself from commenting:

"Ahh… I was wondering why you were in such a good mood eariler. But now I know why, especially with all that "fun" you two were having." I said, making sure he knew I was implying that they had slipped several stages ahead in their courting.

He seethed when more with anger."If you are suggesting what I think you are, then I suggest you rinse that filthy little mouth of yours, and get your manners in check."

"But you were in a good mood when we arrived back! I was just putting two and two together. I'm an excellent deductivist didn't you know?" I sang in mock innocence, and it made him even more furious. I had succeeded in riling him up to such a degree that he lost all control over his mask.

"It had nothing to do with her!" He shouted, and I flinched at the volume and anger in his voice," And that's the problem. I am engaged to her, but cannot seem to stop thinking about you!" he exclaimed sudeenly.

We both stood there in shock. Me at what he said, and him in disbelief that he actually said it.

He snapped out of it, and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"God Roza, what are you doing to me?"

He moaned, and collapsed on the bench next to me in defeat.

I didn't say anything. I mean, what did one way to that?

So I stood there and watched him as he murmured to himself and pulled at his hair, as if he was mentally debating something with himself.

I was just about to turn away to leave, when he leapt to his feet and did something so unexpected, it nearly made me faint right there and then…

He kissed me.


	11. Chapter 11

**_DPOV_**

I sat down on the old wooden bench. I couldn't believe it. Anybody but him. He would only use and ruin her like he ruined her. And I could not, nay, would not let that happen to Rose. Was a part of me jealous? Naturally, ever since I laid eyes on Roza I felt an indescribable attraction to her, which was only consolidated by seeing her beautiful naked body. But it was more than that, I did not want her to get hurt by him. He had ruined the lives of many young women like her, including someone close to myself. She deserved so much more than that, especially considering what she had been through, judging by all those scars on her body.

And I wished with all my heart that I could give it to her, the love she deserved. But alas, we were born in two different societies, separate worlds. It would do not good for my reputation or my family's for that matter, and she would struggle to cope in such a high pressured world. No, I would not wish for her to conform to society's rules, as she would have to. She was free, and unbounded. And that's what made me adore her.

And knowing I could never have her like I wished, drove me mad. But maybe… maybe I could just taste her just the once. What would the harm be in that?

 _No_. I scolded myself. I _t would make things more complicated. And you had a fiancé._

But you don't love her. The voice said again, and this inner turmoil continued for quite some time, before it all got . I was sick of thinking, of constantly obsessing and watching myself. I wanted to experience that carefree freedom Roza had, and be anything but Dimitri Belikov.

And with that, I grabbed her body towards me , and devoured her lips with mine. After her initial shock, she soon matched her movement with mine. We both became desperate, months of suppressing our feelings all building up to this moment, to this release. We could no longer hold back, and our desires took over. I kissed her hungrily, tracing one hand over the curves of her body, the other entwining in her curled hair. Her lips tasted sweet, and like sugar itself, was addictive after the first try. She kissed me back too, with such passion it made my whole body crave more. Her own arms wrapped around my neck, and she pulled me closer, pressing her body up to mine.

A voice inside my head was screaming at me to stop, that this was wrong. But I couldn't help it. I wanted to taste every inch of her mouth, knowing I would probably never be able to again. I wanted more. And more I got.

I pushed her back onto the bench, and I fell on top of her. Her legs automatically entwined with mine, and her small hands started exploring my body.

My hands continued working their way into her hair, and I slid my tongue against her bottom lip, begging for entrance.

She began teasing me, biting my lower lip and I growled. I was in charge here, and though I loved her fiery nature, I wanted to dominate her.

I forced my tongue into her mouth, and she gasped softly, followed by a loud moan. She bucked her hips up to meet my own, rubbing her lower body against my own.

I felt myself grow even harder, something I did not think possible, as the bulge in my pants had already grown incredibly big and stiff.

This woman was driving me insane.

How could something so wrong feel so right?

We both pulled back reluctantly for air, both of us gasping. As she lay there before me, I swear I had never seen something so breathtakingly beautiful in all my life.

Her beautiful dark mane was splayed around her, cascading over the bench,her lips were red and swollen from kissing, and her ample bosom rose and fell with each breath she took. Confound that dress. I knew I would not be able to resist her for much longer the moment I saw her curveacious and full figure. She had indeed filled out over the past few months, and in all the right places. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes held a sort of wonder and awe as she looked up at me. She looked so innocent and vunerable in that moment, something I Had not seen from her yet, and it made my heart swell with something I was not all too familiar with. Whatever it was, it felt incredible.

I had hoped that by staying away from her, by distancing us both, some of the strong feelings I had towards her would fade. By if anything, absence made the heart grow fonder, as they say, and as selfish as it was, though I knew I could never have her, I never wanted to let her go. She was mine.

I was possessive, controlling, power hungry _…. I was my father_.

That thought hit me like a bucket of cold water, and I stopped kissing her abruptly. I could see the hurt in her eyes as I pulled away, and I wanted more than to take her in my arms and console her. But I could not shake the though out of my head.

I was being purely selfish and greedy. I was using her for my own pleasure, leading her on as such. She was younger than I, and I could not raise her hoped that we could have some sort of fairytale like relationship. The fact was we were not compatible, and it was cruel and self absorbed of me to let her naïve mind carry away with itself.

It took every bit of willpower within me to peel myself away from her. But I managed to, and said the only thing I could think of that would ensure she did not pursue any romantic interest in myself of Mr Ivashkov.

"Be careful Roza, you fall too easily for men, and make it far too easy for them to use you."

I saw raw pain and embarrassment flash across her face, and her struggle to keep her face composed. Iwished there was another way. But I could not tell her what Mr Ivashkov was capable of, as I had made a promise not to say to this woman. Roza was on the verge of tears, but she desperately fought to withhold them, to not let me see what damage I had truly caused her, though I know I had wounded her deeply. She did not fight me, and instead stood up without a word, and walked into the depths of the maze, until she eventually left my field of vision.

And it was then, as I stared after her retreating figure, that I knew she was strong enough to survive this, to survive the manipulation of Ivashkov, and any man that tried to pray on her.

She was strong, my Roza, and would move on.

The question was, am I strong enough too?

 _ **RPOV**_

"Be careful Roza, you fall too easily for men, and make it far too easy for them to use you."

I stared at him in shock. Just moments ago I had experienced the most incredible feeling of my life. He had wanted me so passionately and never could I have possibly imagined that it was all just an act.

And now he had just ridiculed me without a moment's hesitation. He was an excellent actor, I would give him that.

I had never felt so mortified and humiliated in my entire life, he had kissed me… just to use me? Or to try and teach me some lesson about not falling for men like a fool? Either way, it did not detract from the fact that I felt hurt like never before. It pained me more than each blow and each kick that Stan delivered. I had never felt so happy as I did in that moment, and like everything in my life, I was brutally reminded that I could never raise my hopes. Everyone left me. My father, my mother, Mason, and now him. It was the kick in the teeth I needed to remind myself that I was on my own in this world. I felt tears threaten to spill over. But I would not cry for this man. Once again he had reduced me to a quivering wreck, and showed him that I was weak willed and easy to have if he so wanted.

It was with that, that my resolve set in. I stalked out of the vicinity, with no direction in mind. I glanced back at him, and thought I saw pain and hurt in those dark eyes, but it was gone as quick as I had seen it.

I kept walking, as I tried to create as much distance between myself and him.

I eventually found myself in the heart of the maze, and I was truly lost. I began running as I became disoriented and panicked. Everywhere looked the same, and I had found myself ending up in the same places each time I took a turn. It was impossible to navigate, and I gave up.

I would allow myself this one moment of weakness and self pity, whilst no one could see me. I stopped running, and stood still, letting the events fully sink in. If I could get all of my emotion out of my system now, it would make it more bearable in the future.

I finally let the tears flow, as I huddled up in a heap on the ground, with my knees bent, and back arched as I cradled my head between my arms.

* * *

 **Author's note**

 **Okay so… I know you all want to kill me right now *cue nervous laughter***

 **Buuttt… things have never been that easy for the couple, right? And besides, our dear friend Adrian has yet to fulfill his starring role!**

 **Thanks to everyone who followed and** **favorited** **….. and to the 20 reviewers! (A RECORD!) I was so giddy when I woke up this morning and found them, that I could not stop myself writing this chapter even if I wanted to!**

 **Thank you all so much!**

 **Much Love,**

 **E xxx**

 **P.s Author's notes at beginning or end for future reference? Xx**


	12. Chapter 12

I must've fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, someone was gently shaking my shoulder and asking me if I was alright.

Still in my slumbered state, my response was sluggish, and all that could escape my mouth were incoherent moans of protest at the person who woke me up.

"Are you drunk my dear? Do not worry, I am far from one to judge." The man chuckled. That voice… I was sure that I recognised it.

I cracked one eye open, and I swear it nearly bulged out of my head when I saw who it was.

"Mr Ivashkov?!" I exclaimed, more than surprised to see him in the Belikov grounds. I ran a hand through my hair to desperately try and make myself more presentable, as I could only imagine what sort of state it was in, only to find twigs snared and entwined in all the knots. I internally groaned. This was the second time he'd seen me and I looked a mess.

He laughed again, a seductive smile playing on his lips, "I'm glad to see I am that memorable." He winked at me, and held out a hand to help me up.

"Why is it that everytime I see you, I must help you up back onto your feet?" he queried.

"Because I am the damsel in distress, and you must save me, oh handsome prince." I cried sarcastically, theatrically placing my hand over my forehead. He kept held of my hand with one of his, and supported my with the other as he placed it on the small of my back. I noted how he didn't remove it once I was on my feet.

We started walking through the maze, and I trusted, and hoped, that he knew where we were going. It had somehow lost its fleeting beauty since my kiss with Dimitri. I wondered where he was, whether he had cried himself to sleep like I had, whether he had tortured himself with feelings of inadequacy and humiliation like I had. For some strange reason, I imagined not. He was probably in bed with his "Tasha" after a very fulfilling and satisfying rest, contrary to the one I had. The mere thought made me shiver with queasiness.

I snapped out of my miserable thoughts by the good looking man next to me. And my, how good looking he was. He wore his uniform again today, and succeeded in raising my pulse at the sight of him. For some reason, I felt a pang of guilt for thinking of him like that. But I immediately dismissed it. Dimitri had made it very clear he did not wish to pursue an affair with me, despite what the kiss ignited in myself, and so all I needed to do was to rid myself of any feelings towards the man. Whatever these feelings were. And what better way to forget a fellow, than to pursue another?

Mr Ivashkov smiled, then appeared to be lost in thought. "Hmmmm… yes. I think that's a rather fitting name for you, 'Little Damsel'."

I narrowed my eyes at him playfully, "That had better not stick." I snarled, and his grin grew wider.

"Little Damsel it is then!" And I practically growled at him in response.

It suddenly dawned on me that he had no way of knowing I was here, and I furrowed my brow as I asked him.

"What the hell are you even doing here? Wait. This is a dream isn't it? Why else would you be here in the private Gardens of the Belikov residence?" I questioned, genuinely curious as to what on earth he was doing here, and more importantly, how he found me when I got lost within the space of a few minutes.

"Well, Little Damsel, ever since our short encounter yesterday…"

My eyes widened at this. "Wait. WHAT?! Yesterday?! I've been asleep here all night?!" I cried incredulously.

He looked down at me in surprise. Genuine concern seemed to cross his features. "You've slept here all night?! With no shelter of warmth?! No no no no no" he tutted, shaking his head in disapproval.

"That most certainly will not do. A pretty little thing like you should not be sleeping amongst the commoners. You should be treated like a princess, not the same as those scum."

My blood boiled as I quickly became consumed with rage. I was sick of people looking down on people like me, when I, and the others in my position, had done absolutely nothing to deserve such disdain and could not help being born into poverty.

My mind flashed to Dimitri, and how he had blatantly used me in a way that would be unthinkable to an upper class lady. In fact, just the mere thought of him brought up a whole range off emotions, and with Mr Ivashkov being the closest person to me, the poor soul became victim to my anger.

I scowled at him, quickly becoming defensive. "Perhaps it is worth telling you right now, that I have commoner blood inside me, and that I have slept rough before. And if that makes me scum, then so be it. That's the thing about being someone like me, you soon learn never to trust anyone, and to make it on your own. I never needed your help anyway." I snatched my arm away from him, and began to walk away from him as fast as I could. He quickly caught up to me and grabbed my arm to stop my in my tracks.

"Woah, woah, woah there Little Damsel. I'm sorry, I had no idea. And I only ever meant it as a joke. Very few things I say are meant to be taken seriously, you will soon find." He said softly, and I looked into his bright green eyes, and found only sincerity there. He actually apologised, which was more than Dimitri had done in the many times he had insulted me.

I instantly relaxed, and looked away. Just because Dimitri was a pain in the arse, didn't mean I had to be too.

"I'm sorry, Mr Ivashkov, it's not been an easy day… or days rather. He… well, it's been tough." I trailed off, not really sure what to day. "I still can't believe I've been out here overnight." He stopped me, as my mind began wondering off, and gently placed his finger under my chin, and brought my face up to meet his. "It is quite alright my dear. If I had to reside with Lord Belikov, I most certainly would be In a foul temper such as you are."

That instantly piqued my interest, as Lord Belikov had referenced some sort of disagreement with their past before.

"What is this thing between the two of you, this feud?" I queried, "And why are you here anyway? You never answered me!"

His let go off his gentle touch on my face, his own face tightened at my mention of the apparent feud between the two of them, but quickly transformed into that easy going, carefree mask that he wore so well.

We continued walking, and I linked both hands on his outstretched bent arm.

"Questions questions. You need to loosen up my girl and learn how to have fun."

Though I found it odd that he was avoiding my questions, I was easily distracted. He reached into his jacket and took out his packet of cigars. I was quite surprised when he offered me one, and he was even more so when I took it.

"Hey, I know how to have fun! And will not tolerate any one thinking the contrary!" I exclaimed when he shot me a look of disbelief.

He quickly recovered himself from his shock and began lighting his cigar. "Oh I have no doubt you know how to have fun Little Damsel. But one cannot help but ponder what sort of things that 'fun' entails." He bent down and spoke in a low, deep voice, leaning in close so our lips were inches away.

He brought his newly lit cigar to his mouth, and placed my own in my mouth. He lit my cigar using the end of his, and his eyes never left my own. Though it didn't drive me insane like Dimitri's contact did (unfortunately) it was still enough for my heart to beat faster, and my breath become a little uneven.

This didn't go unnoticed, as he let out out another chuckle.

"Oh my Little Damsel, when your body has that reaction when I'm this close, one cannot refrain from imagining what it can do when we have our… fun." I gasped, quickly becoming inundated by his masculine and seductive presence. And I'm sure I would not have been able to control myself, had the gasp not caused me to inhale the cigar quickly, and cause me to splutter unattractively on the smoke.

Smooth Rose. Real smooth.

It took a few seconds to collect myself, and when I had I saw Mr Ivashkov doubled over, in fits of hysterical laughter at my failed attempt to smoke.

"Hey! Sorry we don't all smoke a hundred cigars a day, and have smoke pouring out of our every pore!" I yelled in between chokes, which didn't help me settle down his riotous laughter as I'd hoped.

He swung his arm around me, leaning on me for support as he gathered his breath.

"Oh dear my Little Damsel. One shall have to teach thou how to smoke like a lady."

I snorted, but allowed him to take the cigar off me, and teach me how to do it.

"Okay, so first of all you need to wet your lips…" he trailed off as he watched me obey and slowly trail my tongue over my lips. I was quite amused when he became a little flustered and gulped harshly.

"Like this?" I said, feigning innocence, and all he could do was nod in response.

"You're a natural." He said, voice husky with desire.

Though I didn't feel my own body react in a particular way to his sudden change in mood, I was enjoying the flirtation. Besides, when did a little bit of confidence boosting do any harm?

I smirked at him, and soon his cocky demeanour returned. "Place the cigar in your mouth like so." He popped it in my mouth, and I waited patiently for his instructions.

"Once lit, slowly suck on the cigar, only a little at first, and gently breathe out."

I did as he said and clasped my lips on the cigar that he still held, and slowly inhaled, moving my lips along the shaft as I did so. His eyes widened and he bit his lip as I seductively moved my own.

I couldn't believe how brash I was being. I barely knew this man, yet was going further with him than I had another. Well, beside Dimitri, but I decided he no longer counted.

Unfortunately, it would seem our uninvited audience could hardly believe it too, as I distinctly heard the collective chorus of gasps ahead of me.

I looked up, and found the Belikov family all staring at us, with horrified faces on them. Well, Lissa and Vika looked more amused, but the rest of them most certainly looked mortified.

I hadn't realised that we had finished the path of the maze, and had ended up in the rear Gardens of the Belikov manner, where they were currently dining for their breakfast.

I looked up at Mr Ivashkov, wide-eyed in panic and flushed with embarrassment, but he, if anything, looked completely amused by the whole situation and actually played up to the audience. With a long bow, he took off his hat and greeted them, "Ladies and Gentlemen, a great pleasure."

I glanced back at the Belikov family, bracing myself for their reactions. I scanned the shocked faces until I settled on a very angry looking one. Lord Belikov's. He was staring at the two of us, and it was only then that I realised how close Mr Ivashkov and I actually were, and leapt back away from him. Not that it mattered. It was too late now anyway.

I looked back at him and thought that I could actually see... hurt? To my surprise, he actually looked pained and visibly upset by what he had just seen, and more than that an employer would feel for his employee.

And that reaction hurt me more than anything else could have done, had he shouted, became violent, or not gave a damn, it would have been easier to deal with. But this way… well. It felt like I had betrayed him in a sense, which was ridiculous, because he had no feelings towards me.

But then, why would he react like this? God, my head was all over the place, and I was so sick of getting such mixed emotions from him. I could not possibly gauge the man, and it was unfair of him to keep toying with my feelings like this.

I eventually looked away from the man, those brown eyes becoming too much all of a sudden. I heard him clear his throat before saying in such a soft voice, that I hardly caught it.

"Get that man off my residence immediately".

* * *

 _ **Thank you all so much for your reviews. 22 this time! Another record! I appreciate it so much, and it's lovely listening to what you have to say.**_

 _ **So I'm going to pose the question:Adrian of Dimitri? Who do you prefer?**_

 _ **Let me know what you all think!**_

 _ **Thank you so so much.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **Emma xxx**_


	13. Chapter 13

When Mr Ivashkov remained very much in the same spot, Lord Belikov began losing his patience

"What the devil is she doing with you?" Lord Belikov growled. I was surprised that Olena didn't scold him for that expletive and looked at her. She looked… worried, with her forehead creased as she frowned, ageing those delicate feature of hers.

Sonya looked extremely shocked, and her eyes never left the man beside me.

Mr Ivashkov smirked and shrugged nonchalantly, and it was the first time that I had felt something was …

Off with him, the way he was too calm unsettled me.

"She and I like each others' company, and wished to spend more time together. What harm is there in that, pray tell?" to emphasize his point, he wrapped his arm around my waist and brought me to him.

Dimitri balled his fists at his sides and took a deep breath.

"Why?" He simply asked, ignoring his question. His voice sounded so thick with emotion, and I struggled to wrap my head as to why they would all have such a violent reaction.

Mr Ivashkov took a draw of his cigar with his free hand, blowing out the smoke leisurely to irk the fellow man.

I had not remembered I had mine in my mouth still and rushed to take it out and stamp it on the floor, earning me protest from Viktoria about how they were her their nicest casual shoes I was spoiling.

" _Why_?" Dimitri repeated louder, and it sparked a response in me. I became very defensive of my actions. He had just rejected me and ditched me like I was yesterday's sewerage. What concern was it of his?

"What I do and do not do is _my_ concern. You made it very clear you had no interest in me and my life" I retorted, narrowing my eyes at him.

He flinched slightly at the reminder of yesterday's… events, though I hardly knew why. It wasn't as if it had affected him in the slightest.

My Ivashkov chuckled at my actions and words before replying to Dimitri in his lazy drawl.

"If she wishes to bed me, what concern of it is yours?" He asked with such an unconcerned, unbothered air that anybody would have thought he hadn't just said that is was eager to give my virginity to him. I attempted to wriggle myself out of his grasp, but he only held on tighter. I, myself, was beyond furious at his words. Sure, I had flirted a little, but that did not mean that I was willing for him to sample the milk before he bought the cow, as the saying goes. I elbowed him sharply in the ribs and he looked down in surprise before saying, "Quite feisty this one. I can't wait until we are in the bedroom." He winked at me and I flushed a bright red.

My mouth gaped open in shock, and I tried even harder to get out of his grasp. He was too strong for me, however, and all I could do was thrash about pathetically and cry out in distress. Within seconds, Dimitri was on him, and pulled him away, but not before I dealt him a swift kick to his crown jewels. He doubled over in pain, and began wheezing.

And if I was angry, it was nothing, and I mean nothing, compared to Dimitri. Without a second's hesitation, he had slammed the smaller, but by no means light, man up against the wall of the mansion by the collar, and spoke to him in a low and dangerous voice.

"Women are not just for bedding. There is more to any woman than that. You disgrace the very nature of women to suggest such a thing."

I rose my eyebrows in surprise, I had no idea Dimitri truly felt like that. He had seemed… more conservative than this with his previous treatment of me. In fact, I'm pretty sure he was the definition of a hypocrite.

"On the contrary, dear fellow. Rose very much seemed to enjoy my company, and her earlier behaviour would seem to contradict your statement."

It was my time to go berserk. "Woah woah woah, there." I sad walking right up to him, and poking my hand in his face.

"I never once said that I was interested in you romantically!"

He turned to me with an unaffected expression and said, "Then why act like a whore trying to secure her next job?"

I blushed furiously, and looked away ashamed. For some reason, I didn't want Dimitri to think of me like that. Though I didn't, again, know why.

He turned to Dimitri with an amused lopsided grin, "why do you care so much about Rose, pray tell?"

Dimitri growled in response and said

"She deserves more!"

Anybody confronted with the 6 foot 6 angry Russian would have shrunk away in cowardice and stuttered some form of apology, before running away.

But Mr Ivashkov remained unfazed,

"Why do you concern your so much about HER though? Why does it bother you so much that any man should shown interest in her?"

He tightened his grip on him, but didn't answer. It was as if he was trying to catch himself before he said anything dangerous.

Mr Ivashkov seemed to know this, and smiled widely. "Oh, it truly does bother you! How delectably delicious! Come on then, old chap, tell us why."

Dimitri clenched his jaw shut desperately trying to reign in his anger.

But Mr Ivashkov was relentless, and continued asking over and over again before Dimitri suddenly snapped.

"Because she is _mine_! Not yours!" He bellowed, and the whole environment, the people, the wind and even the birds tweeting in their nests became suddenly silent. I, myself, was startled beyond words.

An awkward silence descended, and Dimitri kept his head away from me so I couldn't see his face. Mr Ivashkov looked like a cat that got the cream.

"Enough!" This had gone on long far too long!" We all turned around at the strong voice that had unexpectedly interrupted us.

Dimitri looked pained at his sister's outburst, "Sonya…. No. He isn't worth it."

"No, but everyone else is. If it stops somebody making the same mistake as I did, then it is worth it." Her face showed her upset, but also her determination.

"Viktoria… you must leave." She asked of the other girl, who immediately began protesting. "What?! No, this isn't fair! I'm not that young anymore! I'm sixteen, you can't ju–"

"Now Vika!" Sonya roared, and Vika stopped her protests when everyone turned around to stare at her, waiting.

Her face crumpled up, and her body shook as she began sobbing. She ran into the mansion wailing about the injustice of it all.

Sonya was solemn when she next spoke and turned to me.

"Rose… this man, he will be your undoing. You had better stay away from him, lest you find yourself in the same position as I."

Mr Ivashkov became infuriated now, and it was the first time I had seen his easy going demeanor snap, and truth be told, it was quite terrifying to see.

"Don't you dare, you little whore!" He snarled between clenched teeth. His desperately tried to scramble out of Dimitri's hold, but to no avail.

Sonya ignored the protest, and began.

"I met this man, just short of five years ago, I believe, and he was every bit the sweet and funny man that he undoubtedly has acted towards you, no?" I didn't reply to her, my body paralysed in shock as my mind predicted what she was going to say next.

"Stop it! She is mine, I tell you!" Mr Ivashkov yelled, his face red with anger, and eyes bulging out of his head. He suddenly looked very different to the handsome man I had first met.

Sonya continued with her tale, "We courted, Adrian and I, for a month or so, before he proposed to me. I knew it was too soon, deep down, but he promised all sorts of wonderful things to me. A house, a family, a secure future. And to a young girl, such as I was, it was easy to get swept away by the romanticism of it all. And that very night we…." She hesitated, and I noticed Olena had began to cry. "We made love." A gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it, and the final pieces of the puzzle came together.

Sonya took a deep breath, and allowed herself to be comforted by her mother.

"I'm sure you've figured it out by now. You're a bright girl. Yes, he was the one that knocked me up, out of wedlock. He refused to have anything to do with me once I told him, and I was left in a very vunerable position. I begged him, reminded him of our shared love, but he rejected me and the child, and ended the engagement. It was clear that was never part of his plan. By the time the child came, and was taken away from me, I had found out that he was already engaged to another."

Adrian, I noticed, slunk in defeat.

I was mortified, and horrified beyond belief. Just moments ago, I had been flirting with this… this piece of shit.

Olena was still crying loudly, and Karolina simply stood by her side, hand on her shoulder. Sonya looked…. Broken. I suddenly dawned on me why she had disappeared when the Calvary came to town, and why, at the mere mention of Ivashkov, her face contorted into a grimace. She had lost her pride and dignity telling me. She sacrificed her own reputation, so that I didn't meet the same fate. I began choking up with sobs, and before I knew it, in a very non-Rose way, I ran up to her and embraced her as tightly as I could. The emotion inundated me, as it hit home how much the family had really welcomed me in. Even the one that supposedly loathed me the most was willing to go through so much to protect me.

Dimitri looked devastated. Never before had I seen such raw emotion on his face. It was clear to me, from the start, how protective he was of his sisters, and I was suddenly in awe of the man for having so much self control, and not filling the head off Adrian whilst he had the chance.

I suddenly understood Dimitri's words….."Be careful Roza, you fall too easily for men, and make it far too easy for them to use you.". He was protecting me because he felt like he had failed her. Though I wasn't sure why he had to kiss me to prove his point. Was that him just being cruel?

But seeing his face contorted in such pain made me realise something. He truly did care. He was not the sort of man that would use and abuse a woman, like Adrian apparently was. He cared for his name, yes. But it was more than that. He cared for his family, his loved ones, and perhaps he even cared for me. Thinking back to all of our heated arguments, our disagreements and even the way he had looked at me when he saw me naked, it was because he cared. Deep down beneath that cold, stoic, uncaring exterior…. He cared. Perhaps more passionately than most. And it was with a shock that I realised something else…. That was why he had kissed me.

Was it selfish of him? Yes. He had allowed himself to get caught up in his emotions, then tossed mine aside as if they were worthless. But did it make him a bad man? No. It made him a confused man, with a heavy burden on his back. He was engaged to another… and that was why he ended it abruptly, not just to warn me about Adrian, but also to try and convince himself it was the right thing to do.

And now that this revelation had hit me… it made me see him in a different light. Not only was he aesthetically beautiful, but he was a good man through and through on the inside too.

I stepped back from Sonya, and my eyes connected with Lord Belikov's. My heart began racing as I stared intensely into his. They were such a beautiful bottomless brown, it was easy to drown in them, not that I would have especially minded. My stomach fluttered with butterflies… something I had never felt before. And it was with a small gasp that I realised I cared for him too, deeply.

We were interrupted when Adrian let out a low growl. I turned to him in surprise, I had genuinely forgotten about him- what with Dimitri's god like face in the way.

He whirled around to me, his green eyes boring into mine. "I will have you Rose. I always get what I want" And he turned back to Dimitri sneering, "It will be my great pleasure to have her when you can't." Dimitri flinched slightly at this, and stared at Adrian's retreating figure as he stalked off in anger.

Once Adrian had gone, there was not a sound except the sound of the collective sighs of relief. The two sisters remained embracing their mother, which left Dimitri and I across from one another. I studied him for a moment, admiring the rise and fall of his chiseled chest, and the way his hair clung to his forehead before he swept it behind his ear. The sheen of sweat he had gathered from his confrontation with Adrian made him look incredibly sexy. He looked so vulnerable, that I wished nothing more than to embrace him and console him.

He must have felt my gaze upon him, as he looked up, and his eyes met mine. He only held my look for a second though, before he looked away, clearly embarrassed from the way he had acted earlier. He had told everyone that he wanted me, and it hurt to see that he regretted confessing that, as opposed to acting on these newfound feelings. I knew that was ludicrous in itself, but I couldn't help my mind running away with itself. I opened my mouth to say something to him. Anything. Just to escape the deadly silence between us, but before I could, he marched off back towards the house and disappeared, leaving me standing there alone like the naïve fool that I was.

* * *

 _ **Author's note**_

 _ **So… I know it may seem like I rushed the Adrian vs Dimitri theme, but believe me, we have NOT seen the last of a jealous Dimitri, or a vengeful Adrian, for that matter.**_

 _ **And I wrote this chapter bearing in mind that you all currently hate Dimitri. I guess I got carried away writing him like that for my own amusement haha, and I hope the next few chapters make you warm to him…. Somewhat.**_

 _ **And well done to touls, you guessed right!**_

 _ **Please keep the reviews coming, and let me know what you all think. The next chapter is already in motion…**_

 _ **Thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed! Everyone voted Dimitri, and I have to say I agree!**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **Emma x**_


	14. Chapter 14

I hadn't seen Dimitri for the rest of the evening. I was told he had gone running, something he apparently did to clear his mind, and vent his emotions. That was unusual to me, as Lord's did not exert themselves unnecessarily. It most certainly was not common practice for people like that, though I understood. I, myself, found that escaping the confines of the home, and perhaps society, just for a few hours, could cleanse one's mind and give you a glimpse of freedom away from expectations and prejudice of our modern day society.

Thus, I had been sent to continue with my maid's duties, after a wash that was.

As I retired for the night, my mind kept wandering on its own accord about the day's events. The more I thought about it, the more I wished to speak to Dimitri. I was not known for bottling up my thoughts and emotions, and could not rest until I sorted something out. Too many questions whirled around in my head. Did he care for me? Did he mean what he said, that I was his? Did he want me now? Or would he return back to how it was and pretend nothing had happened?

I had laid in bed for an hour or so, and when no sign of sleep showed itself, I decided to untangle myself from the sheets, and go from a walk.

I had now grown confident of the maze like halls of the manor, and knew from the most part where everything was.

I crept along the hallway, careful not to make noise so as to not disturb anyone's slumber.

After a few minutes of racking my brains, I knew where he would be.

I found Dimitri in the drawing room. It was a small room, with a roaring fireplace on the left hand side cream coloured wall that gently cast a warm, dim flow on the room. There were two plush red sofas and a chair, lining the corner of the wall, and on the other side stood a writing desk, with ink and various papers scattered about. He was seated in the lone chair, sprawled out comfortably, well, as much as his long limbs would allow, reading a book.

He looked completely at peace, there was no harshness to his face at all, no evidence of the crippling burden that comes with being a Lord, trying his best to look over his female cohabitants. There was no sign of the stress, which by looking now, had aged him considerably beyond his years. He looked younger, and my heart actually tugged when I saw what his position had cost him; his youth.

His hair was loose, and he wore a very simple white shirt, that was buttoned low enough to show me a hint of his chiseled body.

He hadn't heard me enter, and I stood awkwardly at the door frame. I suddenly wish that I had chosen something other than my flimsy white lace nightgown, that, In a certain light such as this one, did little to cover my modesty.

I wrung my hands trying to think of the right words. I felt…. I felt like I owed something to him. And though I wasn't sure why, as I did not believe I had done wrong internationally, it pained me to see him distressed, and more so knowing I was the cause of it.

But I knew that, deep down, underneath all of the insults, ridicule and shame he had laid upon me, he did save my life, and gave me a shot at a life that I never deemed possible. And I was continuously forgetting that, and how gracious I truly was.

"I'm sorry." I whispered softly, and his head snapped up instantly, and took on a look of surprise when he saw me. His eyes traced the outline of my figure, that was clearly visible my the translucent dress. He swallowed harshly, and scanned over my body as if he could not get enough of it. My cheeks were flaming at this point, and my mouth had gone dry. He noticed my flushed state, and mistook it for embarrassment, as opposed to the lust his gaze was making me feel.

I saw his eyes begin to glaze over as he began guarding his emotions. Something I did not wish for him to feel the need to do.

I immediately leapt back, I did not want him to lose what sort of peace he had before I entered. It was clear that I had disturbed him, and disrupted his relaxation.

I turn to leave before bowing, and began making my way out, when he called me back.

"What…. What are you sorry for?" I turned around to stare at him, and found his face bewildered.

I played with the lace on the hip of my dress, and looked down not meeting his eyes. I took a deep breath, and told him everything I had wanted to say to him, to lighten the burden off my shoulders.

"Isn't is obvious? I have been nothing but ungrateful to you since I arrived here. Yes, we have not always seen eye to eye, but just because you may not like me, does not excuse my behaviour. You took me off the streets, gave me food and shelter when I had none. And most importantly, you gave me a family; a home. I do not know what might have happened to me had I not been found by you. So thank you, sincerely, thank you.

And my apology is for the way I have been. I should have acted the way I feel; thankful and respectful. And I am ashamed of my actions."

I kept my head lowered, and waited for a response. Except none came, I a

glanced up, fearful of his reaction. Would he be angry that I had only just realised this?

But his reaction was quite the contrast. His features were soft, and still rather shocked. It was then I realised he had not said anything because he was speechless.

I stood there awkwardly, debating whether or not I should leave, when he called me.

"Roza….." he whispered softly, his voice heavy with emotion. He shook his head, and patted the chair next to me for me to sit down. I hesitated, but he did not change his mind, so on shaky feet, I brought myself to the chair and sat down. Since my revelation of my feelings for him, being this close to him did not feel so good.

I could smell his cologne, a manly, earthy scent, that I wished nothing more than to bury myself in.

I looked up at him to find him studying me. God only knew what he saw. A pathetic, grovelling girl.

He cleared his throat, and started speaking so softly, that I understood why he wanted me to sit next to him.

"I have gone my entire life working hard to conform to the image my society expected of me. My father… he was a cold man. And to him, emotion was a weakness. One that had to be punished, many times." I knew he was referring to the times that his father had beaten him into submission, and my heart tugged for him. I placed my hand on his, and he smiled gently at me.

"And so, since then, I have worked hard to hide my emotions. And over time… the pretense of hiding them, the act…. I began to fulfill it. I buried my emotions so far down to hide them, that they seemed to disappear altogether. I did not feel anything. Sure, I had instincts, such as my protective nature over my family, but not much else hit me" he gestured to his heart, "right here."

"But that all changed when I met you. Ever since I saw you in that street with those…. Vermin clawing at you, I felt something. I have never been struck by something so much. Something so beautiful." I scoffed loudly, and said, "I had not bathed for weeks, and not ate for days. I was filthy and scrawny and a wretch of a person."

He laughed softly, "Be that as it may…" I swatted his hand light-heartedly in mock offense, and laughed. It was nice, seeing this side to him.

"No,in all seriousness… even in that state you were by far the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. You were striking, feisty and determined. You fought for yourself, and I had never seen such passion before."

He moved his hands until they gently cupped my face. His warm breath lightly tickled my face, and he was so close, that if I were to move just two inches, our lips would be touching. "You are like a beautiful Rose growing in a dull and ugly garden; you stood out from anything else in my life."

Tears started forming in my eyes. I had no idea he felt so much for me. "That is the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me." I laughed softly, not bothering to catch the tears that now began to fall.

He shook his head in disbelief, "I cannot, nay, shall not believe that!" I smiled meekly and nodded, to which he responded, "then you have been associating yourself with the company of the blind and ungrateful."

He caught a lone tear with his finger and said, "I meant what I said outside. You do deserve more. I have been thinking since earlier this day. And seeing you with this man… it broke me. Not just because I care for you, but because I could not stand the thought of you having the same fate as poor Sonya."

"I'm sorry" I replied, and he shook his head. "You weren't to know. And the way I have been treating you, I do not blame you at all. It is me who should be sorry." I began to protest, "You have taken me in and-" he placed a finger on my lips, and brought his head department enough so our foreheads touched.

"You have been the greatest thing to enter my full life, so believe me when I say you have nothing, nothing to apologize for. Lord knows you made me angry at times, but you have always made me feel something, and from that, I am eternally grateful, my Roza".

Our breathing got heavier now, and I could feel myself going light headed at out proximity.

His dark eyes bore into mine, and even had I wished to move away, I could not. I was like a fly trapped in honey; addicted to its own downfall.

He slowly leant in, and our lips gently caressed each others'. Unlike our previous kiss, it was soft and tender, gentle and sweet. Yet it conveyed so many emotions. His lips moved against mine slowly, and I met his with equal fevour. His tongue licked out and stroked my lower lip, begging for entrance which I greedily accepted. His tongue explored my mouth, and I moaned loudly. It was exactly like the first kiss, so passionate and so thrilling. My whole body tingled, and my core became wetter with each stroke of his tongue. I lashed out my own tongue, and they danced in a battle for dominance. I bit his lip playfully and he growled, low and deep from his chest.

He gently pushed me back onto the sofa, and I wrapped my arms around him, pushing our bodies together. His hands explored my body, before entangling in my hair. My own hand wandered down his body slowly. I felt his breath hitch when I stroked his prominent member, throbbing and hard through his clothing. He stopped kissing me temporarily, and I tried desperately to pull his head back, but he resisted until his lips met my skin once more, this time on my neck. My body arched into him as he trailed kisses down to my collarbone, before settling on the arch of my breasts. He nipped the skin their teasingly, and I groaned out loud, "Dimitrriii"

His head snapped up at this, as if I had just slapped him out of a lust spell. He rocked backwards, until he was sat on the other end of the sofa. He buried his head in his hands, so that I could not see his face.

After recovering from his rash rejection, I sat up and brushed my hair over my shoulder to hide my own face.

After the initial hurt I felt, the realisation of why he had done that set in.

I knew why he had pulled away, he was torn. And I felt the same way.

As much as we wished we could be together, it just wasn't possible. He was set to wed another woman, and I… I was destined to the life of a maid. I would be lucky if I ever found a man willing to have someone like me, for reasons other than just sex. I was far too lowly, and men seemed to just use women like me, with motives other than wedlock.

But Dimitri… he was different. If he wanted me for just sex, he would never have pulled away. But he respected me and cared for me so much that he knew it would be unkind to do such a thing for his own pleasure, and leave me straight afterwards. And that made it hurt all the more. The fact that I had found my prince charming, but we were never meant to be.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Roza… I wish we could..." His voice sounded broken and pained, and I had never seen him so upset. I myself struggled to keep my tears at bay.

"I understand Dimitri, truly I do." And I did. We did not have a choice in the matter. It would be asking too much of him to harm his family in such a way, we the scandal of us being together would. His sisters would never wed respectably, and it would damage their lives if they could not marry into wealthy families. The Belikov name would be tarnished and ridiculed too. And then there was Tasha. Though I did not like the woman, out of jealously, it would be cruel of me to place my own happiness above her's. Dimitri knew this too.

He looked up at me, and I could see his eyes watering as if he was holding back his tears. We were both sacrificing so much for the sakes of others.

I wanted so badly to embrace him, but I feared we would not be able to control ourselves if we were so close again.

Instead I leant on his arm, and sighed deeply.

"It is better for me to pull away now so that we do not find ourselves falling for for each other. It would be selfish of me to do what I desire to do with you, because we can never happen. I do not want to hurt you any more than I already have." he said.

I swallowed harshly, and tried desperately not to let the tears fall again. I knew he was right, and I knew that this was the kindest thing he could do.

I whispered softly into his arm, "It's funny isn't it? Your reasons for not allowing us to be together only make me love you more."

He went complete still, and it was only then that I realised I had used the word love. I held my breath, waiting for a reaction. Positive or negative, I had said it pulled me closer to him, and wrapped his arms around me and leant his head on top of mine. "Oh Roza…" he breathed, and with that, the tears I had tried to keep from falling, gushed down my face as I could no longer hold back the tears.

"Why must life be so cruel?" I sobbed quietly. It felt so unjust that I would finally feel like I had discovered my rightful place, with the right person, only to have it stripped away from me.

Dimitri sighed deeply, "I don't know Roza. I do not know." He kissed the top of my forehead lightly, and held onto me as I gently cried myself to sleep.

 _ **Author's note**_

 **Thank you to those of you who reviewed! I know I said that I had a chapter in motion, but the past few days have been hard. I have an eating disorder, and it gets really hard to get out of my head as it completely takes over. So yeah, feel like I let you down a bit there and I'm sorry.**

 **I just want to say that Sydney probably won't feature in this story. I want this to be all about Rose really, and I'm sorry to those of you that had hoped differently.**

 **Touls: There's definitely more of Adrian to come!**

 **And Sky, thank you for your review! I'm a huge bookworm too!**

 **Sherlock Holmes series: Arthur Conan Doyle. Definitely one of my favourites. I've read it four times (Stick with it- it's worth it!)**

 **Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen**

 **Great Expectations: Charles Dickens**

 **Hope this helps! :)**

 **Thank you to those of you who have read and reviewed! Please keep them coming!**

 **Love,**

 **Emma x**


	15. Chapter 15

Today was the day I had been dreading for the past week. Lady Natasha Ozera was staying over for the weekend, per request of the head of her family, to allow her to familiarise herself with the Belikov family, and hopefully leave a good impression. Apparently her father witnessed their interaction at his ball, and wished for her to get closer to him. Though they were engaged already, and I hardly saw the point, she seemed far too eager to comply, according to sources.

Though I knew that since the conversation between Dimitri and I, we could not be together, it did not make it any easier for me to bear the idea of him being with another woman. Perhaps I was being hasty in my judgement. Maybe I could grow to become fond of the girl, maybe she was a sweet and kind hearted woman that would give Lord Belikov the title and love he deserved. Maybe. But something about this woman seemed wrong. Though time would tell to see what sort of liking I would take to her.

When I awoke after that night of the kiss, he was gone and had laid a blanket over me as I slept. A part of me wished that I had woken up beside him, wished him good morning and pretended like everything was okay. But the other part of me, the sensible one, knew that it was for the best that he departed before I woke, though that fact did not lessen the ache of the womb.

And since discovering my love… things seemed to be getting harder. How could I possible serve the man I had fallen for, and watch him live his life as if nothing had happened? He had not mentioned what had occurred between us. That did not mean he had acted unkindly towards me, on the contrary, I was given better sleeping quarters and more slack than usual work wise. I do not quite know what the man was thinking. A bigger bed and wardrobe space did not compensate nor act the equivalent to his love. But hey ho, if my king size bed was what I'd have to put up with as a replacement, then I guess things could be worse.

It did hurt though, the fact that he had acted as if nothing had happened. Though he was perfectly pleasant and polite towards me, it did not feel nearly enough. I wanted his body on top of mine, his lips crushing my own. I wanted to hear him say that he loves me. I wanted him to stay with me, and not leave like everyone else I have loved has done.

But this is what I wanted. And I should know by now that God does not give us what we want.

"ROSE!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. I loved Vika, but if this was about one of her opulent dresses that just weren't opulent enough for her taste, then I think I might scream.

I gathered more gowns out of the gown room, and stepped into her Parlour.

"Ooh! That blue one looks gorgeous! The green was too cheap looking, it made me look like a whore. Which ordinarily I wouldn't mind, but Lord Zecklos is coming, and I've got to make a classy impression Mama says, or else he won't want me ."

Ahhh Yes, I had forgotten about that.

A small dinner party was being held tonight, consisting of family and close friends, and Natasha, of course.

My face must have conveyed my thoughts, as she declared

"Why do you look so sullen? It makes you look so much uglier!" I restrained from rolling my eyes again, out of fear that I may do some permanent damage if I kept doing it.

I was not offended. This was Vika… blunt, but not purposefully offensive. I had gotten used to it by now.

"Why does that matter, not like I need to make a good impression on anyone." I muttered to myself. Vika was completely oblivious, already stripping off ready for the next dress. Seriously, this girl had no insecurities.

"Aren't you excited for this?" She asked, distracted from the fabric, and oohing and ahhing about the delicate silk sleeves.

"Yes," I started, voice dripping from sarcasm. "I can't wait to wait on them hand and foot, whilst being ridiculed and sexually harassed by Lord Zecklos, being ignored by Lord Ozera, and watching your brother and his fiancé cuddle up to each other."

She narrowed her eyes at me, and I attempted to raise an eyebrow in puzzlement.

She gasped, he mouth forming a perfect 'o', before squealing excitedly.

"You like him! You like my brother!" He screamed and my eyes widened in horror. Had I just let that slip? Oh shit. I did. I said I couldn't stand the thought of seeing those two together.

I racked my brains desperately to try and back track.

"I have no interest in lover's affairs. You'd understand, if you were in my shoes. I have very little chance of marrying someone who loves me for me. Women of my position are used by men, for one thing." I looked at her pointedly, hoping that she bought it. She was okay, as I said earlier, but she was undoubtedly a gossip. And I could not imagine anything worse than this getting out; the pathetic maid hung up over her rich, handsome Lord and owner.

She studied me for a few seconds, but must've bought it, as she asked me to help her with her dress. My mind wondered idly as she chatted excitedly.

Just how was I going to get through this evening? I hadn't even seen the woman yet. Perhaps she wasn't even that attractive. Maybe she had a hideous laugh. Maybe she was secretly a man and hadn't told anyone yet.

I sighed to myself. She couldn't be any of those things, she was engaged to the most handsome man I knew, so she must be strikingly beautiful to be matched up to him.

More beautiful than I atleast. And I bet she didn't have scars all over her body like I did.

I shook my head to try and get myself over this pity parade. The best thing I could do to get through this evening, was to smile, feign professionalism, and not let anything get to me.

Yeah, good luck with that one Rose, a voice in my head snorted derisively.

Vika's gasp brought me back to the present.

I glanced up and let out a gasp myself. She looked beautiful. The gown was classy and elegant. The bodice was tight, and the neckline was A-line. It was a dark, shimmering blue, that fell to the floor leaving a trail behind her. There was no underskirt or layers of fabric, just one silk skirt that highlighted her figure.

She twirled around, beaming from ear to ear. She was so beautiful that I couldn't help the stab of jealousy when I saw her.

When I was her age, the closest I got to luxury was sleeping on a bed with a mattress full of stains and ominous smells that my mum had… used in her prostitute days.

She begged me to do her makeup, but I insisted that Lissa would be better at it, and ran off to fetch her before she could protest. I knew that this was my life now, serving people constantly, but sometimes it just got too much. The unfairness of it all. How our lives are dictated to us from birth.

I found her with the other two sisters, Karolina and Sonya, both of whom were having a heated argument over which Lord they fancied their chances with.

She was hiding in the corner, desperately trying to blend in with the wall, and visibly sagged from relief when I told her she was requested elsewhere.

Whilst walking down the corridor, I turned to her and smiled widely.

"Did you hear a certain Lord was coming tonight? Last name Ozera?" I waggled my eyebrows suggestively.

She looked flustered temporarily, before attempting to feign disinterest.

"Oh, really? Good for him. Maybe he can bring round the woman he's currently courting."

My eyes widened in shock, and I instantly regretted saying anything. She smiled sadly at me, "Don't worry. You weren't to know. It's not necessarily common knowledge. I was in the room when Lord Belikov received the letter from him, and he asked me to read it out to him whilst he arranged his hunting gear. It said that he was able to come to the dinner party, but requested another place be set at the table for the woman he is courting."

"Oh Liss" I sighed, and wrapped an arm around her. Though she was considerably taller than me, the position wasn't awkward for some reason.

As we walked, we past the hallway with the gallery of all the heirs to the Belikov Wealth.

I unknowingly slowed my pace as we passed Dimitri's, and felt that familiar pang in my heart.

I thought back to my first impression of him, of that painting.

It was cold. Distant. Formidable.

Now looking at it, his eyes were not emotionless… they were shielded. Those dark eyes that had captivated me as soon as I saw him held so much emotion and depth to them, that it was quite difficult to peel one's glance away.

Lissa noticed this. But unlike me, she didn't pry. I had no doubt she knew there was something between the two of us; she had witnessed many an awkward encounter.

Nonetheless, she was bred in a different world to I, and thus had better manners.

She wrapped her arms around me and leant her head on top of mine.

"We'll find a way to get through the next few days. We've gone through too much to let a couple of men cloud our minds."

I smiled at her, with false bravado. It was shallow I know, with everything else that had gone on, this shouldn't matter to me, but it did, and I didn't know how to cut it off.

"We just have to make this as fun and entertaining as possible." I turned away from her, finding it difficult to pretend.

She noticed my unusual quiet aura and gasped in mock horror, "Don't tell me that you're going to be the boring one out of the two of us! Lighten up a little!" I scowled at her playfully and was about to retort when Vika's voice rang through the corridor.

"ROSE! WHERE ON EARTH ARE YOU AND LISSA?! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR AGES FOR HER TO DO MY MAKEUP!"

Lissa's eyes widened in horror and she turned to me, outraged at my betrayal.

We were practically outside Vika's room now, and I quickly shoved her in and shouted, "Hey! You were the one that told me to have fun!" And darted off as quickly as I could.

Unfortunately, in my haste, I hadn't been watching where I was going, and hurtled straight into a solid wall and flung backward. An arm extended out and caught me just in time, and by the immediate heat I felt from the touch, I knew it was Lord Belikov.

He chuckled softly at me, "If I wasn't mistaken, that was quite the mischievous laugh I heard from you just now."

I straightened myself upright, making sure I stood a good few feet apart from him before looking up at hum.

He was dressed in his formal attire. And wow did he look breathtakingly beautiful. I glanced down from his toes, which were covered by polished boots, and slowly made my way up his body.

It was long, lean and powerful, and it made me wonder who on earth made clothes to fit a man of his stature.

I past his legs, reaching his had a white shirt underneath his dark red waistcoat, and a pitch black blazer to match his pants. It fit so well on him, that it accentuated his toned physique and broad shoulders.

Then I made my way to his head. His hair was nearly tied at the nape of his neck, and his tanned face was completely clean shaven. His eyes were dancing with excitement and light heartedness, and though a part of me wished that it was because he knocked into me, or rather the other way round, I kept telling myself it was because of this dinner party and Natasha's upcoming stay.

I suddenly felt extremely untidy and scruffy in front of him. I had on a plain black dress, as part of my maid's outfit, that was covered in all sorts after the days events of cleaning and running after his sisters. My hair was messily shoved up in a bun, and I had no doubt there were bags under my eyes from the lack of sleek I'd been getting, tormenting myself over the very man who stood before me.

I thus kept my head down and did not meet his eyes. I felt extremely unworthy of him. He was so beautiful and good, and I felt like a thorn, penetrating that perfection.

I hadn't said anything, too wrapped up in my thoughts when he ordered me,

"I hope you'll be more welcoming and accommodating at this dinner party."

My ears pricked up at this. I was too stunned to say anything. His tone had taken a sharper tone, and I could almost feel his eyes narrowing as he stared at me.

He clearly mistook this as me ignoring him, when I was merely trying to find the words to say, and could not let them leave my mouth for some reason. His appearance had rendered me speechless.

My eyes darted to his face, and the look he was giving me made me look elsewhere. What was I supposed to tell him?

 _'Oh gee, I'm terribly sorry Lord Belikov. I was just temporarily inundated by your striking handsomeness. I want to marry you and have your babies_." Before I dived on top of him and and kissed him like my life dependent on it.

A minute elapsed in pure awkward silence, and I could see his face darken from the corner of my eye.

"Seriously Miss Hathaway, I expect better from you tonight. You are not being at all gregarious and amicable, as I wish my housekeeping to be.I will not have you show me up in front of my guests. Especially Tasha. She is a perfect match for me, and I do not need you and your moping to get in the way. I suggest you compose yourself and move on, as I have done. You are my maid, and must act more professional " he snapped, voice harsh and cruel, just as it was the first time I met him.

My mouth gaped wide open, before I shut it promptly. He acted as if he had done nothing wrong. It was one thing to move on from what was never meant to be (our feelings towards each other) but it was another to blatantly rub the fact he could move on, and talk incessantly about this other woman to the woman he had rejected mere weeks ago, and then chastise me for not moving on like he had done.

Screw him! If our relationship meant so little to him, I was done playing lowly and loyal servant.

I raised my head up high, and steadily held his gaze.

He must have noticed the change, his eyes softened as he took me in and he closed his eyes in frustration with himself. He must have realised how much he hurt me, as he reached out towards me and said softly.

" I'm sorry Rose, I didn't mean to be so insensitive. It's the company I am with, it rubs off on one considerably."

I scoffed. There was always some excuse with Dimitri. Though this was an improvement, he never used to apologize, it wasn't good enough. Not today.

I brushed into him, purposefully knocking his side, causing him to stumble slightly, as I started stalking away.

"No, you're right. I cannot excuse my actions- I am truly sorry Roza… please will you forgive me."

I turned around to him, working hard to keep the stoic persona I had suddenly adopted to show him I was not to be pushed over.

But the mask began to fade when I saw his face. Or more specifically, those eyes that I had never been able to resist.

In front of me was suddenly the vulnerable, sweet man I had kissed tenderly weeks ago. The man who told me he cared deeply for me. The man who felt just as inflicted and wronged by the injustice of our society.

I was just about to break, and wrap my arms around him and tell him that we were okay, a petulant voice from behind him, however, interrupted us.

"Dimka! There you are! We were starting to worry! I volunteered to go and look for you, hoping to catch you half dressed! How disappointing to see you're fully clothed. But my oh my, how dashing you look!" Dimitri visibly winced at this and his forehead creased with worry when I immediately retracted my outstretched hand and took a further step back.

"Rose…." He whispered. But I could not look at him. I was sick of him toying with my feelings, switching from one person to the next in a flash.

And it was then that he no longer shielded my vision, and I set eyes on Lady Ozera for the very first time.

My heart almost ripped in two when I saw how beautiful she was, especially in comparison to me

* * *

 ** _Author's note._**

 ** _Aaannnnnddd and there we go. Yup. He's a dick again. I'm sorry… I couldn't help it haha. Vampire Academy was full of angst, and I believe our favourite duo are too strong and stubborn for fluff! (Not that in comparing my story to VA of course!)_**

 ** _And if you're thinking "Poor Rose, again!" Don't worry. What doesn't Kill you makes you stronger right? I think it's high time we see kickass Rose! And there may be a twist around the corner..._**

 ** _Now, I have a question that has been whirling around in my head for the past week. Who is the most awesome character, besides Romitri, naturally?_**

 ** _In my opinion…. I think I have to say Abe. He is, as we English say, absolutely bloody smashing! He's crazy, has awesome fashion taste, and scary as hell._**

 ** _I also quite like Christian too. One of my favourite VA moments is when Rose and he are paired up for mock Guardian duty. I think they bounce so well off each other._**

 ** _Anyway… thank you all so so so so much for the reviews. 17! Just… wow. You. Are. All. Amazing._**

 ** _Had so many lovely comments too! I enjoyed writing the last chapter, and was glad to hear it was a favorite! Thank you for being so understanding too, in regards to my lateness in updating. And I listened to the song... You're right! Very fitting!_**

 ** _This story has surpassed my other in terms of reviews, and it has ten more chapters than this one! Seriously... reading your reviews made me so emotional (I cry a lot) and I am overwhelmed by your kindness. I started writing to distract myself from the depression and Eating Disorder, and never in a million years did I expect such a positive response. It may not seem like a big deal, but your support means a great deal to someone like me._**

 ** _Please keep them coming, I love hearing from you, and your thoughts on the story._**

 ** _Thanks,_**

 ** _With love,_**

 ** _Emma xx_**

 ** _P.S sorry for the mad ramble._**


	16. Chapter 16

She was stunning.

Her hair was raven black, which perfectly with her pale complexion. Her hair was intricately woven in an updo, with half of it up, and the rest flowing straight down her back like an black River of tar. She wore a beautiful dark purple dress, with a very fitting corset, and long layered skirt that fostered her tall and slender frame. It made my short and curvaceous one seem frumpy in comparison.

Where my complexion was tanned, hers was a far more desirable pale. So pale, in fact, that she almost matched the white walls of the room.

She had long, dark eyelashes, that perfectly framed the most piercing and striking pair of ice cold eyes. Her lips were a light pink. The combination of all of these features resulted in physical perfection, at least by the standards of their sort of society.

No wonder she had been matched with Dimitri.

I had been so stunned by her that I hadn't noticed her move so that she stood beside Dimitri, practically handing in his arm, whilst he introduced us.

He nodded in her direction and said, "This is Lady Ozera." Tasha laughed at this nervously, "Oh, you! A man of few words!"

He looked even more irked and took a deep sigh.

She ignored this and purred, "You mean Lady Ozera, my fiancé!"

Dimitri grimaced and gestured towards me.

"This is Miss Hathaw-"

Tasha cut him off when she gave me the once over, and let out a snort of derision.

" Oh dear, honey. Do yourself a favour dear, and clean up before you serve us tonight. Dimka deserves better housekeeping than that, and if you continuously let him down by looking like you do, then I'm afraid he'll have to let you go. Isn't that right Dimka?" She purred his name, and looked up at him expectantly, fluttering her eyelashes.

He, however, seemed quite unaffected by her apparent charm and gave her a cold look.

"Do not order my staff about. This is my house, and my rules. It always will be."

I had to refrain from laughing when her face looked as if it had been slapped, and glanced up at Dimitri.

I found it difficult to read his face again. It felt like the past few months had been a waste of time and effort, like he had reverted to his cold and cruel self once more.

I thought he would've atleast cracked a hint of a smile, but his face was a blank canvas.

He stared at me cooly, before saying, "It is time you got yourself prepared though Miss Hathaway. I will not have you looking like that." And with that, he turned sharply on his heels and started matching away, with Tasha latched onto his arm.

He didn't seem to notice, but Tasha turned her head back to me and flashed me a smirk.

She thought she was victorious. She thought she had pitted Dimitri against me. Oh I didn't like this wench.

And damn me to hell if I was going to stand here and take it.

I stormed off to my room, after searching for some clothes, and found Lissa in there, quietly sobbing to herself in the corner of my room.

I immediately ran to her, dropping the clothes on the bed, and wrapped my arms around her.

"What's wrong, Lissa." She didn't say anything, and I panicked even more.

"Liss, sweetheart. You can tell me." She lifted her head up from her hands.

It was then that I noticed the blood. She had cut herself.

"Oh Liss…" I whispered, and I lifted her limp arm to inspect her wrist. It looked to be superficial, but it was still enough to make me worry. Her sobs became louder when she knew I'd seen them, and I struggled to keep it together.

Tears clouded my vision, but I knew I had to be strong for her. I didn't want to make her anymore upset than she is.

Though I had never self harmed myself, I had enough experience of wounds inflicted on me to know how to clean them.

I guided her to the bathroom, and helped her strip off. Her pale frame shivered from shock, and she didn't move when I gently asked her too. I lifted her up, no small feat given my height, and gently eased her into the bath. I rinsed off the blood and wiped her cuts clean, before putting iodine on them. She started crying again, the pain seemingly penetrating her numbed state, and she started apologising.

"I'm… I'm so R-Rose. I just. I didn't know what to do. It got too much. I-I…"

I cut her off immediately and said, my voice thick with emotion, "Don't you dare apologize for this. This is not your fault. You have gone through so much, and you are the strongest person I know. But you are human. We all are. We have emotions and things just do get too much for us."

She became more hysterical, sobbing uncontrollably, and I wrapped my arms around her tightly, ignoring the fact my clothes were now soaking, and cradled her, like I would a child.

I know that in the times I felt my lowest, when life seemed all too much, I just wished I had someone to hold onto, someone to wrap their arms around me, and allow me to feel safe, even for just those those few minutes. Her crying settled down, but she was still upset.

"I know.. b-but" she started, in between sobs, "I should've held it in. I shouldn't have let it get to me. Him with her. And now… now I've ruined your carpet."

I stared at her incredulously, "Liss! I don't care about a stupid carpet, I care about you! And you know what? Lord Ozera is missing the best deal of a lifetime. He would've been the luckiest man on earth to have you, and if he can't see it, then he's not worthy of you."I cried passionately, and Lissa cracked the first genuine smile I had seen from her yet. It was small. But it was enough to let me know she'd be okay.

"Thank you Rose. I'm so happy I met you." she whispered, her voice full of sincerity.

I smiled back at her. "I'm happy too."

I finished off wrapping her wounds in bandages, before cleaning her hair, and helping her out of the bath. I quickly jumped in myself and gave my body and hair a quick scrub, and when we were done, we both sat on the edge of the beds wrapped in our robes.

After a while of just sitting there and enjoying the peace, Lissa sighed. "I don't suppose we need to start getting ready now. I don't know how I can face him."

I turned to her and gave her a sympathetic smile. Even after crying she looked so pretty. If only she knew it.

"I met Tasha earlier. You know what she said to me?" I put on a high pitched whiny and shrill voice. "Make sure you clean yourself up for this evening, you're letting Dimitri down with your appearance. A diseased rodent would make a better maid than you."

Lissa gasped, "She said all that?!"

"Well. Not that last bit. I may have added that on. But still! She had the nerve to tell me to dress up and stop embarrassing Dimitri! And then he agreed with her and told me to get ready!"

Lissa practically growled, and I looked up at her in surprise, she was visibly shaking with anger.

"Who do these people think they are treating us like this? My family never did anything like this to our help, there is just no need!"

My eyes widened, sweet, innocent Lissa was angry, and it was pretty terrifying.

I desperately tried to calm her down. "We'll get back at them, and those men too. They can't just string us along and then leave us for different women."

She stopped temporarily, and gave me a sideways glance, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm liking the sound of this. Pray tell, what is going on in that devious mind of yours?" I smirked at her, I really was a bad influence.

"I'm just saying, we need to prove to them that they can't treat us like that and get away with it. We'll show them exactly what they're missing, and show off what they can't have!"

Her eyes glistened with excitement at our plan, and I found myself matching the full on smile she was giving.

"I know how to sew…" she wickedly, and ran to the other side of the bed to look at the fresh maid outfits I'd brought with me.

They were boring dresses. Plain, black, with a heavy skirt. The whole thing hung loosely on us, and was quite possibly the most unflattering piece of clothing either of us could wear.

I attempted to raise an eyebrow at her, "That would take a lot of work…" I said skeptically, to which she shook her head and protested.

"Mama taught me how to sew from a young age. I'm quite competent, and could change these in time for dinner."

Though I was dubious, I joined her on the bed and we discussed what we both wanted from our dresses, and what we thought would suit each other.

Lissa started work immediately on the dresses, whilst I did her hair, before moving onto mine.

I did our makeup too, and in a short matter of time, we were ready.

We both covered each others' eyes, and decided to unveil ourselves in the mirror on the count of three.

It was ridiculous, and childish, I know, but we both needed something like that right then, something silly and inane to lift our spirits.

We were both giggling from anticipation, and I began counting.

"1….2….3!"

We uncovered our eyes, and both let out gasps.

We were beautiful.

Lissa was extremely talented.

Our dresses were two different styles. Mine was figure hugging, and clung to every curve I had. Though it fell to the floor, it was only one cut of fabric. Lissa had taken off all of the heavy overskirt, and sewn it so that it fitted me all the way down to the floor, with a small slit down one side up to mid thigh. The neckline was sweet heart, and showed off my ample bosom.

Lissa, on the other hand, had opted for something completely different. Her dress had an a line neckline, and the material clung to her torso, with a little bow on ribbon wrapped around her waist. Thought the rest of the skirt was innocent enough, the skirt flowed easily, and stopped at the knee, showing off far more leg than was deemed acceptable.

We were scandalous.

For our hair, I left mine down in easy waves, and it was long enough that it reached the small of my back. It was simple, but effective enough with the dress.

For Lissa, I did something more classy. She had taught me how to properly do hair, and so I was able to French plait her hair along the sides, tying the rest in a plaited bun.

Our makeup was simple. There was no need for powder of any kind, as our complexions were fine without it. So I simply tinted our eyelashes black with coal, added a slight rouge to our cheekbones, and a soft pink for Lissa's lips, and dark red for mine.

"You… you think it's too much?" Lissa breathed, captivated with our reflections. Neither of us had dressed up in ages, and I had never seen myself in anything like this, so it was quite shocking for both of us.

I cocked my head to the side, pretending to consider her question.

"Probably" I stated, and we both burst out laughing.

"Ready to show some boys that they've mistake of their lives?" I shouted enthusiastically.

She nodded, and I rolled my eyes.

"I want to hear a 'Hell Yeah!'"

She looked mortified and cried,

"Rose! I can't say that!"

I looked at her pointedly and said,

"You're dressed like that and you won't say that?!"

She blushed further, knowing I had a point.

I stood up and offered my arm saying in my best posh voice "Are you ready m'lady?"

She laughed and linked her arm in mine and shouted "Show time!"

* * *

 **Author's note**

 _ **Another chapter so soon! What's wrong with me?!**_

 _ **I felt so awesome after the reviews last time that I just couldn't wait to write the next one!**_

 _ **Thank you all of you for reading, and massive thank you to those that took the time to review. Honestly, it makes writing so much fun!**_

 _ **And surprised so many agreed with me about Abe and Christian!**_

 _ **Special shout-out to Sky and We aren't lost yet . Thank you, I don't feel like a strong person at all. It gets so difficult to fight some days, and it's so tempting to just give up fighting it. But thank you, it's so comforting knowing people understand what it's like, and I wish you both a quick recovery and hope you are okay.**_

 _ **And the Nigel Thornberry reference. Oh man. Will never be saying "smashing' again hahahaha. I thought I recognised the name and searched it in YouTube and was like, that may be the creepiest thing I've ever seen hahaha. Thank you for pointing that out to me! Shall have to adopt some of my other Northern sayings instead!**_

 _ **Oh, and glad you're enjoying the story :)**_

 _ **Please keep the reviews coming!**_

 _ **Thank you,**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **Emma xxx**_


	17. Chapter 17

"Rose...are you sure about this?" Lissa's bravado was fading, and truth be told, mine was too.

The ludicrous dresses seemed a good idea five minutes prior, but now, as we walked along the hallway, they felt whorish, and I was dreading the reaction I'd receive as soon as I entered the room.

We reached the doors and I swallowed harshly.

"We back down now, and they'll have won, thinking that they have broken us" I said with more confidence than I felt.

"I don't know Rose. I don't think I can go through with this." She whispered, eyes wide in fear. I felt a little guilty. I was used to behaving recklessly and breaking the rules. I didn't really consider how new and daunting this would be for her.

"Listen, I'm not forcing you to do anything, you can head back if you wish to." I said, almost hoping she said yes, I could change too.

We were just outside the door to the entrance of the main dining room. We Both jumped back when it let out a small creaky moan, and opened slightly ajar. Luckily, it seemed too loud inside for us to be noticed. We could hear the clinking of glasses and polite laughter.

I used the opportunity to peep inside, being careful not to open the door anymore.

"Oh Lord …" I whispered.

Lissa's eyes flashed wide with panic, and pushed me aside rather more roughly than I thought possible from her.

"Oh!" She gasped, and sadness consumed her pretty features.

The room was warmly lit, with the fireplace roaring, and candles were lit around the room, casting a comforting and orange glow. The long dinner table set beautifully.

A pure white silk cloth was laid on the table, and thin tall candles were placed at equal intervals along it.

Red dinner mats were placed in front of each guest, and cutlery lined either side, with different purposes for each course. It had taken me ages to get the hang of it.

It was not the decor of the room though that had evoked such a reaction from the two of us, but rather the guests sitting there.

There were nine people in total: The Belikovs-, Vika, Sonya, Karolina and Dimitri. Tasha, naturally, and Lord Ozera and his apparent partner. Lord Zecklos was there (Ivan) and another man, of whom I did not recognise, sat at the table too.

Tasha was practically sitting on Dimitri's lap, and was drooling all over him. Now this would not have concerned me, except he appeared extremely relaxed, smiling and laughing at what she was saying, and appeared to be enjoying himself. Jealousy shot through me. The beautiful couple looked perfect with each other, elegant, perfectly dressed and handsome.

Opposite them sat Lord Ozera and his apparent female companion. She was small, even smaller than me, and that was saying something, and had blonde curls that framed her delicate features. She had shining bright, blue eyes, and a false smile, permanently plastered on her made up face. She was dressed in a pink gown, completely over the top for the occasion with the amount of skirt it had She looked like a China porcelain doll. Tiny and fragile.

The sisters were all dressed immaculately, and I was surprised to see how well Karolina and Sonya looked when they dressed up. I was used to Vika, but they were considerably striking when the made an effort.

And their effort did not go unnoticed, for Ivan and the mystery guest appeared to be lavishing them with compliments that made the girls giggle and blush very uncharacteristically.

The whole scene was just bizarre.

I turned to Lissa, and found the fire return to her eyes. Just as I felt with Dimitri and Tasha, she felt with Christian and the doll. We were jealous and angry, the fact that they could play along and act as if they had not ruined two lives was enough to make us both desperate to seek revenge once more.

I took a deep breath and smiled at Lissa. She smiled a devilish grin back. Gone were our nerves, we were here to let all hell break loose.

With a dramatic flourish, I pushed open both doors, and Lissa and I were met with astonished gasps and bewildered looks.

Everyone's mouths hung open at our attire. It was unlike anything they and seen before, and by the judges on the men's faces, they liked it.

I saw Dimitri's eyes set solidly on me, as if he couldn't pull himself away. The heat from his gaze made me feel like my body was on fire, as he slowly took in my form, every curve and every exposed bit of my body. His swallowed appreciatively, and was quick to take Tasha off his lap. I smirked knowing what he was trying to hide that had sprung to life under the table.

I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from him though. His eyes darkened with lust and such want that it made my body ache for his touch, and wetness grow between my thighs. When he slowly licked his lips, it was enough to cause me to moan quietly. Natasha said something to him, out of my earshot, and by the look on her face, she was angry. When he finally, and begrudgingly looked down at her, the spell was broken, and my gaze was released.

I looked around and saw Christian was looking at Lissa very much the same way. His eyes were filled with longing and sadness, not to mention lust too.

The other men all had their eyes on me, not hiding the fact that they appreciated my curvaceous frame, and ample bosom. Ivan had a

smirk on his face, and his eyes roamed over my body constantly, like he couldn't get enough. He was chucking to himself and shaking his head, as if he knew that this evening would suddenly get a lot more interesting.

The other fellow though, the mystery man, scanned my body, before staring into my eyes. He was incredibly handsome, in a boyish way. With his light brown hair, and shocking blue eyes, he was no doubt a Zecklos. The men bore striking resemblance except Ivan looked older, and where he had a cheeky charm about him, the other man had a devil may care bad boy type of aura.

He smiled lazily at me and winked, and I felt my skin crawl slightly, yes, he was good looking, but he was looking at me in a way that made me feel sleazy.

The man stood up and strolled over to me confidently. He bowed slightly, and took my hand before kissing the back of it, his lips lingering there a little too long for me to feel comfortable.

"I do not believe we have been acquainted before. Let me introduce myself, I am Lord Zecklos, cousin to dear Ivan here. I Have been invited by him tonight as I have only recently relocated, and am not familiar with anyone here."

I glanced over at Dimitri, and saw that he was bristling with Jealousy.

I turned back to Lord Zecklos and smiled politely at him, and was just about to introduce myself too, when Tasha called out.

"I'm afraid, dear man, that this girl here is not a guest like us, nor is she the whore you might have thought the Belikovs kindly gifted you with."

"Natasha!" Dimitri scolded, voice booming deeply.

She looked visibly upset at his outburst, and quickly became defensive.

"She's a maid, I'm just saying that there is no need for him to introduce himself to her, and her to him. Her name is not important."

Lord Zecklos shook his head and flashed a smile at me.

"Nonsense, it would be blasphemy to ignore one of the Lord's angels here on earth." I tried to hold back the scoff that I wanted to release.

He brushed a stray piece of hair away from my face and tucked it behind my ear. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dimitri leap up from his seat.

I smirked knowingly, it had only been a few minutes in, but I had already succeeded in sparking Jealousy in him.

I knew how much he loved my hair, and judging my the growl he just emitted, his possessiveness was enough to drive him over the edge.

He suddenly stood up and marched over to me.

Without another word, he grabbed my arm, and dragged me to the kitchen where the cooks were finishing off the food preparation.

"Leave." He commanded, never taking his eyes off me, and they all scattered off, terrified by the harshness of his voice.

I, on the other hand, acted unfazed,and rolled my eyes at him.

He pushed me into the room, and I stumbled backwards, just catching myself in time before I went flying.

I was just about to shout at him when he beat me to it and barked.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

He had made sure to keep a few feet between us, and I laid back on my elbows on the wooden table and batted my eyelashes innocently. "Why, whatever to you mean, my dear man? I am here to serve you for your dinner, as you reque-" he stepped in front of me.

He was shaking with anger, and kept clenching and unclenching his jaw.

"Cut the shit!" He ordered me, and my jaw dropped. I had never imagined him saying anything like that. I chuckled lightly, it was amusing how much I had got to him.

He glowered at me when I giggled and snarled. "You cannot wear….that!" He tried to sound angry, but he got caught off guard when he glanced over my body, his eyes settling in my cleavage.

I pouted in mock hurt. "You mean you don't like it?" I wrapped my arms around me, pretending to hug myself as I began to sob, when in reality, I was pushing up my cleavage and trying to get him to snap, to lose control as I had done so many times around him.

His eyes nearly bulged out of his head, and he moaned softly.

"I do, in fact I love it. But I would much prefer it off." My body flushed with heat, and I could hardly believe what happened next.

Without warning, he was in front of me and bent down to kiss me. It was animalistic, and he immediately slipped his tongue in my mouth, causing me to moan loudly in response, both from the shock, and the sensation.

This caused him to growl at me, and he picked me up, grabbing my bottom, and I wrapped my legs around his body, as my arms tangled in his hair. His own hands roamed all over my body, until they settled in my hair.

He broke the kiss to trail kisses along my jaw, and as my head fell backwards and my eyes rolled back in pleasure, he whispered with heavy lust, " _Mine_ ".

My breathing became heavier when he said that, and I grabbed his collar, pulling him back to me desperately. I was getting so caught up in the kiss, that I forgot entirely what my original intentions were.

As we broke apart for breath, clarity hit me, and I remembered my plan.

He set me down in the table, and laid on top of me, I felt his bulge through his pants press into me. My God, it was so hard and big that it made me dizzy and I found it hard to concentrate.

He leant over and trailed a hand down my body. Roughly, he grabbed the top of my thigh, slipping his hand under the dress, and pulled my leg up around him.

He laughed cockily at me and said, "I knew it. All those men in there, and you still want me. No matter what Roza, you are mine." He smirked against my neck, and continued kissing me.

It was like a bucket of cold water. He thought he had won again. He thought he could use me, when his fiancée, the woman he would leave me for, was in the next room.

He was playing a game with me, or at least that's what he thought.

With this newfound determination, I wrapped my arms around him, and rolled us over until I was on top, straddling him.

I rocked my hips against his bulge, and he moaned lowly.

I leant down and kissed him fiercely, loving the feeling of being in control of him, his lips eagerly met mine, and we explored each others' mouths with our tongues, until we could no longer hold our breath.

When we parted, I kept my face close to his, and as he tried to push himself up to kiss me again, I moved my head to the side by his ear, and whispered in my sultry voice.

"If you want to play games, then I should warn you; I always win."

I abruptly climbed off him, and set myself upright, straightening out my dress, as if nothing had happened, as if I hadn't just played him at his own game, and won.

I turned back to him smirking at my victory, he lay there in shock, before he sprung up, fury flashing in his eyes.

"You planned this. You planned this all along." His eyes narrowed at me, and my grin grew wider.

I winked at him, and to my surprise, I saw his bulge twitch in his pants. I guess he liked this more than he let on.

"Get out. You are not to attend tonight. You are to clean every inch of every floor with a toothbrush tonight. That will be your punishment. You think you have won, but you forget I am the man, and I own this house, and I own you."

I laughed at him heartily, and gave him my wickedest man eater smile.

"Oh, I am going to attend tonight, in this very attire. If you send me away, I will walk into that room, with my lipstick smeared, my clothes rumpled, and this" I gestured to the large handprint on my thigh from where he had roughly grabbed me earlier, "to the people in that room. So they'll all know what we did in here when you took me away. That's correct, your fiancé will know, and so will some of the most influential people in this town, that you had an affair with the lowly maid." When he didn't say anything, frozen in shock, and if I wasn't mistaken, some sort of appreciative awe, I turned around away from him.

"Now, if you'll excuse me." I said, walking towards the dining area.

And I left him gaping there after me, mouth wide open like a fish.

Finally, the fire within me was back.

* * *

 ** _Author's note._**

 ** _Another chapter! So soon! Hurrah! Seriously, all those reviews (21!) Inspiring!_**

 ** _I had some reviewers share concerns over the dresses. Yes, they are quite modern, but with the purpose of being shocking, scandalous and eye catching! Rose has always been one to push the boundaries, and that's what she did._**

 ** _Perhaps Dimitri would have thrown them out of his house, but we all know that he cares too much about Rose to do that, even if he doesn't let on ;)_**

 ** _Thank you for sharing your concerns though, I understand completely where you are coming from._**

 ** _Oh, and shout out to this reviewer (sorry, I can't reply as you're a guest.)_**

 ** _"A:I honestly lost faith in fan fiction, but your story? Absolutely impeccable. I haven't been wanting to read like this in years. Thank you thank you." This took my breath away, seriously, you have no idea what this means to me! Not sure I deserve such praise haha! Thank you, that absolutely made my day._**

 ** _Thank you to all reviewers, and thank you to WeArentLost-Yet, VATooobsessed, touls and Sky for your support :) truly touched by your kindness._**

 ** _And thank you to every single reviewer, the response to the story has been amazing, and when I see that I have a review, I get completely over excited. My boyfriend reminds me how sad I am hahaha._**

 ** _Thank you to everyone who has read, followed, favorited and reviewed. Please keep them coming!_**

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _Emma_**

 ** _P.s sorry for the long Author's note. I get carried away :)_**


	18. Chapter 18

I sauntered into the dining area, confidence radiating off me. I felt powerful, strong and sexy.

I began pouring wine out for the guests when Dimitri entered. His face portrayed nothing of the events that had just taken place. He walked calmly over to his place, sat down, and, much to my shock and horror, he kissed Tasha.

She gasped loudly, before moaning at a volume that was both unnecessary and impudent in the current setting. I caught Lissa's eye, and she gave me a sympathetic smile. I shook my head slightly. I was not going to let this bother me, this is what he wanted, to humiliate and trick me as I had done him. What a shame that it merely spore me on more.

When they had finished, leaving a smug Tasha, and rather uncomfortable Dimitri, I decided I needed to ramp it up a bit.

I gave Dimitri a seductive smile, and he rolled his eyes, as if he had convinced himself he wouldn't fall for it again.

Little did he know what I had up my sleeve, so to speak.

I leant over the table, and said huskily.

"May I offer you a drink , Lord Belikov?" His eyes met mine stonily, but soon darkened as his eyes wandered down slowly, and he stared blatantly at my cleavage that I had ever so obviously displayed by bending over the table.

He gulped and tugged at his collar. I smiled at him, I was winning.

"You do look a bit _hot_ , Sir. I shall pour you one." I said not so innocently. The best he could do was shakily nod his head, keeping his eyes on my chest the entire time.

A scoff sounded from the side of him, and Tasha huffed.

"You go around to the person when pouring their beverage. It is rude to lean over the table. Honestly, Dimka, I do not know what on earth you are doing with this girl."

Dimitri didn't say anything, still lusting over my display, when Lord Zeklos, the younger of the two, spoke for him.

"I think we all know what he's doing with this girl. And Lord knows I'm sure the rest of us men would like that same chance." His voice was heavy with blatant innuendo, and the men at the table began laughing. Well, besides Dimitri, who looked irked that another man had made such a comment over me.

"Jesse! Dear oh dear, young man, you aren't half taking after your father!" Ivan boomed, in between laughs.

I knew what I was doing was pushing the limit somewhat, but the way that the men could leer and ridicule and woman, knowing that they had greater influence over us, was incredibly frustrating. Men thought they were superior, and that they owned us. We were nothing but possessions to them, and it was a competition to see who could get the prettiest girl to show off.

I glanced over at the Belikov sisters and sighed. They were all shooting me daggers. Evidently, I had succeeded in taking the attention of the men away from them, not that they were the intended target. Karolina looked disappointed, Sonya scowled at me, and Vika looked as if she was about to burst with anger.

I decided then was a good time to go and see if the food was ready, and both Lissa and I walked into the kitchen, the eyes of all the men following us.

When the door shut behind us, we both let out a deep breath.

"This is so terribly hard!" Lissa wailed, the complete juxtaposition to her earlier, confident self in that room.

"I know, I don't know how much longer I can do this." I groaned, thinking of the way I had just behaved. I had never stooped so low.

"WHAT?! You're doing great! The way you made every man focus on you, and you should've seen his face! I've never seen Lord Belikov like that before. You have definitely succeeded in making him jealous."

I shook my head, "I don't know Lissa, have I gone too far? I've never behaved like that before."

She smiled at me, "No, I wish that I could have that confidence."

"How did it go with Lord Ozera, pray tell?" I asked, hopeful she had some success.

She hesitated. "I think it went okay. I could do better. But he did not once take his eyes off me, even when you were leaning over the table." I blushed lightly, still embarrassed as to how far I had gone.

This did not escape Lissa's notice, as her eyes softened and she wrapped an arm around me.

"Stop it. Stop torturing yourself over this. How often in your life had you had the opportunity to dress up and feel as beautiful as you truly are? And how often has man, Lord Belikov included, made you feel worthless? This is a taste of their own medicine. Finally, you're the thing they want that they can not get." I stared at her, bewildered.

"You've soon changed your tune." I noted.

She shrugged, "Seeing him in there with her sparked something. She seems like the exact sort of person Christian dreaded being matched with. It makes me feel like I don't know him, and like he doesn't miss me like he should, considering how close we once were. I want him to miss me. And I want you to feel that way too."

I smiled at her, "You're right. But I think I've done what I needed to do. I will try to make the evening go as smoothly as I possibly can."

Lissa arched an eyebrow at me. Damn. Why could everyone do that except for me?

"As smoothly as you possibly can in that dress, you mean?" She asked.

I laughed with her, and went to collect the bowls for the first course as the bell for service rang.

The rest of the evening went rather smoothly, Lissa and I did not do anything so outwardly brash so as to attract more attention to ourselves; it was not needed. Both Lord Belikov and Lord Ozera tried their best to keep their attention from the two of us, but I could not help but notice them staring at us when they thought we weren't looking.

We were on the final course, the dessert, when something happened.

Lissa and I came out of the kitchen with the plates of a very fancy looking dessert (though no where near large enough, in my opinion) and were placing them on the tables.

I had given Ivan his, and was about to place the other plate In front of Jesse, when I felt something squeeze my left bottocks. "What the hell?!"

I yelped, and leapt backwards, stumbling as I fell. The plate was thrown up on the air, and landed all over Tasha, who jumped up screaming, knocking over the chalice of wine in front of her, all over poor Karolina. She let out a string of very unladylike sounding Russian curse words(much to everyone's surprise-she was the sweet one) and reeled backwards off her chair, bringing Sonya down with her.

She grabbed onto Lissa for stability, and Lissa squealed and lurched forwards, landing straight onto Christian's lap, the desserts she was carrying covered Mia and Viktoria.

Lissa's eyes widened and she looked confused, before glancing at his pants."What's that hard thi-Oh!" She gasped, with realisation, and Christian, blushing furiously, almost threw her off his lap, and into Jesse's wine. It tipped all over him, and he cursed angrily, and threw his dessert in temper, aiming for Lissa. She screamed and ducked just in time, but in doing so, it unfortunately landed on the face of no other than Lord Belikov.

The whole scene seemed to unravel in slow motion.

The only one unaffected by the whole disaster was Ivan, who was laughing riotously, struggling to catch his breath.

Dimitri stood up suddenly, wiping his face from the cream to reveal a very angry looking Russian.

"Watch what you are doing, girl!" Dimitri growled. I winced at his tone of voice.

I immediately started on the defensive. "But you see, it is not possibly my fault, Sir! He...he grabbed me." I stared into his eyes silently begging him to believe me.

Unfortunately, he was far too gone and would have none of it.

"Get out of my sight now! You have done nothing but belittle and humiliate me Miss Hathaway, and I have been far too patient with you this far."

Tears stung my eyes. "If you would just listen to me though. Lord Zeklos touched me, it was not intentional! Please, I implore, listen to me!"

Dimitri's eyes seemed to soften with realisation until Jesse reacted.

Lord Zeklos stood up, feigning outrage. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing." He turned to Dimitri, shouting, "Are you going to stand here and let her tarnish my good name?!"

Lord Belikov looked slightly torn, but all eyes were on him, waiting for him to make the appropriate decision.

He turned to me and closed his eyes, as if it hurt too much to look at me.

"Out. Get out of this Manor now. I care not what you do with yourself or where you shall go. You have by the morning."

My mouth hung open in shock, and the tears flowed down my face. Without another word, I stormed out of the room and into garden.

I could not bare the thought of running into anyone, and I wished to be alone.

Taking in the cool air I thought about what had just happened.

 _Did he just throw me out of the house? Did he really care so little about me? Did I just lose the greatest thing to have ever happened to me in my life?_ I shook my head and denied myself the opportunity to think about what had just happened. For just a few minutes I wanted this peace.

The garden was quiet and tranquil. The only sound amongst the trees and grass was the chirps of the crickets and the wind blowing wildly, as if mirroring my own turmoil of emotions.

I wandered into the maze, letting out every single emotion inside of me. I did not even think, I just cried until there were no more tears to shed. I do not know how long I had been out there for when I heard footsteps.

My hopes raised, thinking it may be Lord Belikov, taking back all he had just said.

Much to my dismay, it was Lord Zeklos, Jesse. He put his hands in his pockets and stood a few feet away.

He had composed himself from his earlier outburst, and it dawned on how good of an actor this man was.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, and I stared at him incredulously. The temptation to make some sarcastic retort like, " _Oh, I'm just feeling dandy! I love being sexually molested and falsely accused of lying to the point where I'm kicked out of the only good thing to have ever happened to me. Thank you for asking."_

Instead, I decided he wasn't worthy of my response, and kept my head down.

"Oh, I see. Not talking to me, eh Hathaway? You are not half a tease." He chuckled darkly and took a step closer to me. Out of instinct, I took a step back automatically. I instantly knew it was a mistake. His eyes lit up like a predator stalking its prey, and he licked his lips, seemingly enjoying the hunt.

"You know why I had to speak up in there. I have a reputation to uphold. Do not blame a man for defending his name." He said forcing lightheadedness.

"You know what you did in there. There is nothing for me to say to you." I muttered, not bothering to hide the disdain lacing my voice.

He abruptly changed the topic of conversation and walked closer to me. I shivered as his breath chilled my neck. I stayed where I was though, it had become evident to me that this man fed off fear.

"You look awfully tempting tonight. I swear I have never seen such a beautiful creature." His eyes scanned over my body, "That dress is…" his tongue darted out and traced his lower lip, "simply delicious."

Jesse placed his hand on my lower back, too far down to be deemed reasonable.

"Hey!" I yelled, as his hand slid down and grabbed my bottom.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, you can not dress like that and not expect this to happen. Confess, you want it it don't you?" I squirmed and tried to kick out but he was too strong.

The next thing I knew, he was forcefully kissing me. His lips were sloppy and cold against mine, and I screamed in protest, a scream he muddled by shoving his tongue down my throat.

Tears were spilling down my face as he began tearing off my clothes.

I tried to kick him where it hurts, but he narrowly escaped, and gave me a scowl.

"You'll enjoy this a lot more if you cooperate. I will even pay you if you really wish. But you have to be good and willing for that." He offered, voice laced with lust and false sickly sweet charm.

This time when I swung, I managed to hit him. But it only seemed to anger him. His face burned a bright red, and his lips were contorted in a grimace, until he exploded at me, slapping my face so hard, the force of it caused me to reel backwards, and stars danced across my vision. This wasn't the first time that I had been hit, far from it, but the shock of it caused me to freeze, in what he assumed was fear.

His face took on a whole new level of smugness as he stood over me. He tried to grab my face and turn it towards him, so I spat at him.

He became furious once more.

"YOU LITTLE WHORE. YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT. YOU CAN FORGET MY OFFER, I AM GOING TO MAKE YOU SCREAM IN PAIN, BEG ME TO STOP AS I FUCK YOU LIKE THE DIRTY BITCH YOU AR-GGHH!"

One minute he was there, and the next he was on the floor, writhing in a pool of blood and clutching his nose.

My breathing hitched, and I began hyperventilating. What the hell was going on?

The feeling of déjà vu ran through me when the tall figure pounced on Jesse, and repeatedly beat him until the latter lay still, no longer putting up a fight.

"Rose… Roza, tell me you are okay, Oh God…. Oh Roza." Strong arms wrapped around me, and for a second, still being in a state of shock, I struggled in his arms and tried to break free.

"Roza…please. It's me …" his voice was desperate as he pleaded with me, and if finally clicked.

"Dimitri?" I asked weakly, voice trembling.

He held onto me more tightly, and I collapsed into a fit of sobs. Memories of what Stan had done to me came flooding back to me. I tried so hard to stay strong, but alas, the pretence became too arduous to uphold.

He picked me up, bridal style, and cradled me to his chest.

He kept muttering a string of Russian sentiments as he ran with me, and I leant into the warmth of his chest, clutching onto him as if my life depended on it. He felt so safe.

He carried me until I was placed in an unfamiliar room on the most comfortable bed I had ever felt.

"Roza...please tell me you're okay?" He cried, voice breaking with emotion.

I didn't answer him, still dazed from what had just happened.

I felt his fingers gently touch my face where I had been slapped, and I winced slightly from the pain.

I immediately felt a weight lift off the bed, as he moved away from me, clearly thinking that he had overstepped his place with me in my current vulnerable state.

"I will let you rest in peace if it is what you want, I understand if I'm not the person you wish with you right now. I'm sorry." He whispered sadly, and I opened my eyes to find his own portraying reluctance and concern for me. He turned with his hand on the doorknob, about to open the door to leave, when I cleared my throat and pleaded quietly.

"Stay."

* * *

 ** _Author's note_**

 ** _26 reviews... Just wow! Absolutely amazing. The support I have received for this has been incredible. Thank you so much for all those that have supported this story._**

 ** _PLEASE keep them coming! And hope you enjoyed the chapter :)))_**

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _E XXX_**


	19. Chapter 19

He didn't even hesitate when I called on him to stop.

He wrapped his arms around me, and though I felt the love and lust return as I expected, I did not feel the safety of his embrace.

Why? This was what I wanted, wasn't it? I wanted him with me, not her. I wanted him to care and protect me, to love me as much as I loved him.

But this…. It felt so wrong.

He must have noticed that I tensed, as, without moving a muscle, he asked me what was wrong.

For some reason, him asking me that triggered something within me.

Events of the evening flashed through my mind, and I felt like the utmost fool.

I leapt off the bed, stumbling a little, and as he reached out to catch me, I slapped his hand away and backed away from him, not even concealing the wild fear in my eyes.

"You...you dare ask me how I feel. You dare pretend like you give a damn?!" I shouted at him.

"Roza, please let me expla-" he tried, bewildered by my sudden change of heart.

"NO!" I literally screamed at him, and he flinched at my voice.

"You do not get to do this. Everytime I am hurt, you come to my rescue and I forgive you. I. Forgive. You.

Well no more Dimitri Belikov. You are the one that hurts me most. The attack by Jesse tonight? I could handle that. All of the abuse I have received off men over the years? I could handle that. My best friend being murdered by my family? I could handle that. My own step father beating and starving me until I was black and blue and nothing but a rack of ribs? I could handle that. Even my own mother rejecting and turning on me. I could handle that.

But you breaking my heart, then healing it again, only for you to destroy it as if it is worthless? I can not handle that. I have had enough. Had enough of you using me. Had enough of you tormenting me. Had enough of your ridicule. Had enough of you leading me on, only for you to run back into the arms of your fiancé.

You make me weak. And if there is one thing I am not, it is weak. It's time I was strong, and to be strong,I have to move on from you and your poison."

I expected anger at him, for rejecting what was an honest move on his part to comfort me.

I perhaps thought he would laugh at me, and clap at my figuring him out in the most sarcastic manner.

I even thought he might think of me as insane, and possibly send me to an asylum.

So when he didn't say anything, and actually took a step back, I was not prepared at all. I almost thought my words too harsh, until he nodded and looked back at me. If I wasn't mistaken his eyes were wet from unshed tears.

"You are right. My actions… there has been no excuse for them. My behaviour towards you had been less than tolerable. I see that now.

You're right. You deserve so much, and I only wish I had realised that before. They say it is only when something is torn away from you, that you truly realise how much importance it held to your heart." I didn't respond. I was wary that this may be another trick on his part, something sweet he would say to lure me back in.

He seemed to realise this, as he laughed without humour and held his hands up I'm defeat.

"Look what I have done to you. You can not even trust a word I say. And I shan't dare to say I don't blame you. You deserve more than me, Roza."

It was one of the few times I had been allowed to see beneath the mask. His emotions were on show, and he made no effort to hide them. He looked broken.

He moved towards the door, and whispered before he left.

"It is funny, is it not? That the reason for my distancing myself from you was because some darkness from inside led me to believe that I was born to deserve more, when it has truly been the other way around all this time. Perhaps it was only inevitable that I turn out like my father." He took one last look at me before he left. Lust. Regret. Guilt. Maybe love all flashed through his eyes as he took all of me in,as if it was the last time he was able to do so.

The door closed behind him, and I was alone. It was then I noticed the room I was in. I closed my eyes and counted to ten.

Had I just made the biggest mistake of my life? Or would this be the start of a brighter, better me?

I opened my eyes and found myself in the most beautiful and opulent room I had ever seen.

The bed sheets were a rich, blood red. The slither of moonlight that escaped through the gap in the curtains made the sheets shimmer, emphasizing the sheer quality of the silk. They were all ruffled up in a mess after I leapt off and kicked him out of the room and out of my life.

The bed itself was a large poster bed, held together with a rich, seductively dark oak.

But there was very little in the room to make it be considered homely. There were no belongings displayed, the bare minimum furniture, and not even a portrait of a loved one.

This was His room, I realised. It was cold, like he was.

The whole room looked bare. It looked empty. And it was with a bitter thought that I realised it reflected very much how I felt at that exact moment. I felt empty, like I had nothing.

It was weird to think that had I not rejected him, the scenario could be very different. The bed sheets would be a mess, but due to our devouring of each others bodies. The harsh coldness of the room would have dulled due to the warmth I allowed myself to feel from his naked embrace.

I shook my head to try and rid myself of these toxic thoughts. I was Rose Hathaway before I met Dimitri Belikov; strong, independent, fierce, and I was damned if I had let him take that away from me.

I exited the room, determined to pack up my things and leave. Yes, I had a wonderful thing going here, but mentally, emotionally? It was taking its toll on my mind. As I said to him before, I could deal with physical and sexual abuse (to some extent), but my mind was far too fragile to be exposed to the likes of Dimitri Belikov.

I had entered my sleeping quarters, and had began packing my belongings, when I heard a knock at my door.

I turned to find Ivan Zecklos there, much to my surprise, leaning against the door frame.

He still had his perfectly tailored suit and waistcoat on, the only item of clothing to have not been covered by the spillage disaster that took place earlier this evening.

"I hoped I might find you here, I wanted to talk to you." He said softly.

I snorted at him and replied, rather rudely, "Make it quick, I have no plans to remain here for very long." I gestured to my clothes strewn out along the bed waiting to be packed away.

His eyes widened in realisation, and he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, that's what I wanted to speak to you about, actually."

I sighed and placed my hands on my hips, "I really don't have time for this."

He chuckled at me, shaking his head. "You are an impatient little thing aren't you?" I shot him a look and growled at him to make his point.

He merely laughed at me and said "Listen. I am aware of what had occurred between Jesse and yourself. As part of the Zecklos name, I can only apologise profusely for what he did to you, and ask for your forgiveness."

I sighed and turned my back away from him and continued packing.

"I am not entirely without blame. I wore that damned dress. One could almost say I called for that sort of behaviour"

He looked at me mortified "Don't you dare say that. Yes, your outfit was more than a little risque, and not a wise decision on your part, but no woman ever invites a man to assault them. You didn't want his advances, yet he continued, and that is not acceptable."

"But I-" I began to protest

"No! " he interrupted. "I won't hear of it."

He stood at me, expression filled with sincerity, and it became too much for me. He was making me feel again, so I cut him off before I allowed myself to get reeled in.

"If that's all you wanted, then I'm afraid I have to return to my packing. You have wasted enough of my time." I said. I knew I was being rude, but I wanted to get out of here before anyone noticed, and he was seriously slowing me down considerably.

"Before you depart, I need to request that you consider something."

I attempted to raise an eyebrow in question at him.

"I would like you to consider moving to my manor, and take up the position of housekeep there."

My mouth hung open in shock. He wanted me? Even after my shameful display earlier?! My face must've conveyed my thoughts, as he laughed and said.

"Your antics earlier do indeed draw me to you, contrary to what you may believe. I am not like most men, And I enjoy the fact that you are not like most women. What you did back there, considering your status and position, it was extremely bold. Stupid. But bold nonetheless. I respect a woman who can hold her ground and stand up to a man as his equal.

I also wish to make it up to you. I invited Jesse here, and owe you some compensation."

I stared at him incredulously, still hardly believing my ears. I still found it odd that he would wish for me to reside with him, knowing that I was working here. He did not know I had intentions to pack. It was clear he came here to ask me, regardless of my packing to leave now.

I raised all of my doubts, and he sighed.

"There are other motives for my asking you to come with me." he sighed, seemingly reluctant to tell me this.

"I noticed some tension between yourself and Belikov too."

I started to protest, and knew it was useless.

"Your display proves contrary to your protests. You could almost cut the sexual tension with a knife.

You don't have to worry about any advances on my part. Yes, I find you incredibly desirable, but I have enough women to satisfy me and satiate my appetite.

You don't have to answer me now. All I ask is that you sleep on it. Don't rush out of here irrationally, when you can have warmth and comfort for another night. And you owe it to the Belikovs to not just run out on them after their hospitality and kindness. I will raise my proposal to Belikov too. It would do him good to have you gone. I know from the way he looks at you that he worships the ground you walk on. He is engaged to be married, and this sort of affair between you can not happen, lest it tarnish his good name."

I was a little taken aback, even Dimitri's close friend though I wasn't good enough. "Wow. So you expect me to run behind you like some little puppy after you just insulted me?!"

He shook his head at me again, something I was beginning to find incredibly irksome.

"You know as well as I do that I do not say this to insult you. It is fact. Dimitri is a Lord, and you are a maid. You are just not socially compatible. He is a good friend of mine, and contrary to whatever you may think about him, and however much he tries to conceal it, I can tell that he cares deeply for you. This is for the greater good for you both. He will end up disgraced, and you will end up heartbroken."

I knew what he said made sense really. He was just stating the facts. But that did not make them any easier to deal with. I wanted Dimitri to throw away all of his concern over what other people think, and pick me over them.

His voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Consider it Miss Hathaway. Stay here the night, and I will be back in the morning. Goodnight."

He gave me me one last hopeful look, and disappeared out of the room.

I stood there, for God knows how long, trying to wrap my brain around everything that had happened.

Could I really leave here, and just cut myself off from Dimitri completely? As much as I currently hated the man for toying with my feelings, I undoubtedly cared for him deeply, and did not wish him any ill will. If I did, indeed, choose to stay with Ivan, I would at least have the comfort of knowing whether he was okay. I would also be able to enjoy the lifestyle I had become accustomed to. Lord knows how I was to survive on the streets if I just left, and I appreciated now that my packing in haste was indeed rash and not at all thought-out. I could not leave the Belikovs here without warning, and I needed to say goodbye to Lissa properly.

But on the other hand, I desperately wanted a fresh start from my life here, to rid my brain of Dimitri Belikov. I did not want to be concerned with his well being, as his treatment of me clearly alluded to the fact he held no regard for my own. I wanted to prove to him that I would move on from him completely, that I was stronger than he thought.

I knew I was right in pushing him away. To stay would only hurt the both of us. It did not mean it was any easier for me, but he had pushed me away so many times, it was high time I took matters into my own hands and stood on my own to feet.

He was clearly content moving on, so why shouldn't I? Ivan had given me a really good offer.

I went to bed shortly afterwards. But for the life of me, I could not sleep. I kept tossing and turning, my body as restless as my mind. There was so much to think about, so much at stake.

Do I run away for good? Do I simply stay here? Or do I accept Ivan's offer?

* * *

 _Author's note_

 _Okay. I received a lot of mixed views in the last chapter. In response to the general consensus I gained from them, this chapter was written. People wanted a stronger Rose, and I hope that's been conveyed here. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and we'll begin to see a change in Dimitri's attitude. There will be a DPOV shortly._

 _As for the dresses… I am going to go back and edit that chapter. It was a major blunder on my part, and I can only apologise. It will be changed._

 _And I think some people have been disappointed with the past few chapters. Again, I am sorry. Truthfully, my head has been all over the place. I am not doing so well at the moment, and am really struggling with the depression. If needs be, I will review the story and edit where I have to ._

 _I had a plan for the story, and the past chapters hadn't really stuck to that, so from this chapter onwards, it's back to the plan. I know what I want to do with the story, and where it is heading now. So I hope it appears to be back on track. There is something pretty major around the corner too….._

 _Thank you for all of the reviews, the good inspire me to keep writing, the constructive criticism makes me realise where I've gone wrong, so thank you._

 _All I ask is that people don't be rude about it. It's not all of the reviews, but some of them were plain rude. If you have a problem with the story, sign in and I will be more than happy to discuss any problems you may have. If not, please don't comment. Nobody is asking you to read this story, and if it bothers you so much, stop reading it._

 _As I said, constructive criticism is fine, I appreciate the feedback._

 _Thank you for the love and support. I don't know if I'll be updating for a while as I need to sort my head out. I've been having really severe double vision and bleeding on my tablets, so I may have to take a rest before the next chapter._

 _Love,_

 _Emma xxx_


	20. Chapter 20

I could not for the life of me find the peace of mind to enter a tranquil slumber. Though the events of recent had me feeling exhausted, my mind was on overdrive, and my body felt on edge, as if waiting for me to take action.

The more I thought about Ivan's offer, the more tempting it seemed. He seemed more than willing to take me in, and although he was undoubtedly attractive, I did not find that he quite matched up to the Russian God who found me in that alley all those months ago, so there was no fear of me falling for him.

But something was holding me back, and I did not know what it was. Whatever it was, it was keeping me up and praying on my mind.

I decided there was very little point to me staying in bed, if anything it was driving me stir crazy.

With a heavy sigh, I climbed out of my bed and tiptoed out of the corridor. I had no real destination in in mind. As I padded along, the feeling of déjà vu inundated me. The last time I had snook out at night, it ended up in a rather passionate kiss between Dimitri- and I, and our mutual decision to end things between us before we got so far in deep, we would not be able to climb out.

 _Hah. Look how well that worked out_. The Voice at the back of my mind whispered snarkily.

I had been so wrapped up in my memories, I hadn't realised where my feet where taking me. It was with a start I realised I was following some music. And it wasn't just any music, it was the most beautiful piece I had ever heard.

The melody was soft and gentle, yet there seemed to be an underlying sadness that tainted it. It was beautiful, yet tragic at the same time. I had never heard anything so captivating, and I could not resist finding the source of such captivating music.

A warm glow cast outside a particular room, and the music seemed louder from there.

Without hesitation, I peered into the room.

It was a room I had never seen before, but when it came into my view, I let out a gasp.

It was breathtaking. Like the music itself, it seemed tragically beautiful. It was old and run down, cobwebs spanning the ornaments, and a thick layer of dust covered the furniture. A few candles had been lit, but only enough for me to see the piano, and the person sitting behind it.

My eyes widened when I saw it was Dimitri playing, and I contemplated leaving.

He looked so peaceful and younger, something I had not seen very often.

However, I did not think that he had noticed me, for he was too engrossed in his playing, that I decided it would do no harm to stay and listen for a while, so long as I remained hidden just out of the room, out of his view.

Perhaps I should have left, but the sound was too irresistible, and I could not get my feet to move had I wanted to.

The melody shifted into something darker, almost quietly sinister. It sounded as if it was yearning for the brightness again, and soon the music changed into the original sounding melody.

It sounded almost as if it had managed to overcome the darkness, and make it through to the end. It didn't mean the darkness wasn't there. No. The melody was still tainted with sadness. But it flowed in a way that seemed almost was as if it was telling me that the darkness would always remain, but that it was possible to move on and live as good of a life as possible.

It was scary how much this song seemed to speak to me, and I wondered if Dimitri had picked it for the same reason.

As he played, I could not help the feeling of awe that came over me. How such a strong, cold and hard man could play something so delicate and gentle was astounding to me.

The song came to an end, and I reluctantly pulled myself away, lest I got caught- or worse, decided to stay for the whole godamn recital.

Lady luck, however,was apparently not on my side today.

"I know you're there Roza."

Damn. Damn him and his crazy senses.

Had he known I was there the entire time? I slammed my head against the wall, debating whether to just make a run for it. But the music was so enchanting that I could not leave without finding out what it was .

He seemed to guess exactly what I was thinking, which was eerie because he couldn't even see my face, and said, "Don't you want to know the name of the piece I played?"

Damn him again. God, I seemed to be saying that a lot recently.

I did want to know it, and against my better judgement, I peeled myself away from the wall, making sure not to step too close to him, and kept my arms firmly crossed against my chest as I leant against the wall.

His eyes settled on me immediately as I entered the room, but his face conveyed no other emotion.

We stood there, in noticeable silence, until he started playing again. This piece did not capture my heart like the first, but he was undoubtedly extremely talented.

"I had no idea you could play so beautifully." I observed. It was said absentmindedly, and it slipped out unwittingly. The last thing I wanted to do was pay this man a compliment.

I had almost became too distracted by his piano playing and consequently had initially lost myself once more in his spell.

He shrugged modestly and replied, "Mama insisted I learn from a young age. Father was never too keen on the notion, he believed music was a feminine thing. Because of that, I was forced to stop playing some time ago. I actually forgot I had the piano here until just now."

Whilst he spoke, he never stopped his intricate playing, his dark eyes focused on the music in front of him.

He kept his eyes on the keys, but the confidence in which he played assured me it was unnecessary

"You should accept his offer." he suddenly blurted out of nowhere.

I turned around at him, failing to conceal the hurt in my eyes. He wanted me to go. Suddenly our little ceasefire was over abruptly.

"I knew it. I knew you didn't want me." I whispered snarkily, not realising it was loud enough for him to hear. I smiled in bitterness. It was something I already knew, and one of the reasons I was leaving, but hearing him say it aloud was an entirely different matter.

He shook his head, his eyes earnest." I do want you. That's why I think you should accept it. I can't control myself around you. You told me that it was dangerous, the game we're playing. And you're right. It would only end up hurting the both of us. And I do not wish to hurt you anymore than I already have. What you said to me earlier today… it hit me hard. I understand now, that I have caused you more pain than I neither wished nor wanted. I have been incredibly selfish. This is your chance to get away from me. Ivan discussed it with me, and I know he is right. It is a truly wonderful offer, and you deserve it."

I was speechless. I didn't really know what to say, though a part of me wanting to scream at him, beg me to stay, the sensible part told me that this was for the best.

I was stronger. I was not a woman who would give up everything for a man. I was a woman who would not cry and beg him to want me.

"Don't pretend as if you suddenly have my best interests at heart." I shook my head, refusing to let him get to me.

He look slightly wounded, but quickly covered it up.

"I love you, my Roza, I always will. If things were different I would want nothing more for us to be together. But you deserve more than me.."

I scoffed loudly at him, "if you wanted me so badly, you would have fought for it. You would not have used me the way that you did."

He looked hurt by what I said, and started, "You have no idea how much I want you, Roza. If I believed you would take me back now, I wouldn't hesitate. But I know it is too late, and you have moved on."

That last part confused me. Yes, I had snapped at him earlier, but did I say I didn't love him? No. Because it wasn't true.

I loved him with all my heart, and surely he could see that was the reason by my moving away? It hurt too much to watch the man I love marry another woman.

I wanted to ask him what he meant, but I decided it would be easier if I didn't know. If he thought I didn't love him, then hopefully I could end up deceiving myself too someday. I had to move on.

"Roza... say something." I glanced up, to see him looking at me with concern and pity. And for some reason, that hardened something inside of me. I did not want his pity.

"I am not _your_ Roza. Not anymore." I stared at him hard, and one him flinch slightly from the cold stare I was giving him.

I had to leave. My resolve was fading, and I could not let him see me weak.

"Good-bye Dimitri." And I meant it. This was a final goodbye. And it broke my heart to say those words.

But I didn't waver, and I turned around abruptly and walked out of the room.

I had made up my mind. I was going. All I had to do was finish packing and say my thank yous and farewells to the people here.

It was then that I knew what was holding me back. It was him. Despite everything he had done to me, I still cared about what he thought. And now that I had the closure… there was nothing here to keep me from going.

I had not wanted to leave without having absolute confidence that it was the right decision, but after tonight, I knew I could leave in the morning without questioning what I was leaving behind.

When I had ordered him out of my room earlier, it was a decision based on pure emotion and rage. But now, now it was a decision based on reason in my now sane mind. I had to be sure that I would feel the same way as I had done before after I had cooled down after our argument.

I just turned around the corner and let out a large sigh of relief. I had managed it. I had confidently walked away from him. This was the start, I tried to convince myself.

I started walking again, and almost missed what he called out to me from the room.

"The name of the piece….it was 'Raindrops prelude, Chopin."

* * *

 ** _Author's note_**

 ** _I know this chapter was a bit of filler really. But I wanted us to see Rose make that decision in a calm and rational way. It's easy to kick someone out when you're angry, but it takes so much more strength to stand by that decision. And hopefully that's what we've seen… a stronger Rose.._**

 ** _This chapter was planned from the beginning... So yeah, back on track now._**

 ** _As I said… there's something big around the corner… but if you would like, we can have a DPOV before that, and see how he is coping now that Rose is truly gone? Let me know what you think about a DPOV._**

 ** _Also, check out "Raindrops". It's beautiful, and one of my favourite pieces to listen to._**

 ** _Thank you for all of the continued support. It's because of that, that I updated sooner than I thought I would!_**

 ** _Please keep the reviews coming._**

 ** _P.S Sky: I was not offended by your review at all. Honestly, it didn't upset me, and you have been nothing but supportive of me and this story. The AN was addressed to others. x_**

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _Emma xxx_**


	21. Chapter 21

_She looked at me seductively over her shoulder, flashing me a dirty smile accompanied with a mischievous gleam in her light brown eyes._

 _She strode over to the window and dropped her towel with a light giggle that made my shaft twitch._

 _She was beautiful. The warm glow of the evening sun setting over the horizon made her tanned skin shimmer brightly. Her figure was the perfect hourglass. Not too slender, with just the right amount of curves to drive a man wild, a full bottom, and as she turned around to face me, I could see that her breasts were just as full and mouthwatering._

 _But what struck me the most was the way that she held herself. Unlike the previous time I had seen her naked and bare, where she had cowered in shame over her scars, this time she wore them with pride._

 _It made her look strong and powerful, and damn sexy as hell._

 _She sashayed over to me, swinging those wide hips of hers, until she stood before me. She pushed me onto the bed, and climbed on top of me. Without warning, she ripped open my shirt, and started placing kisses along my chest, leading all the way to my trousers. She chuckled lightly as I held my breath, and slowly slid them down until I was exposed._

 _It was my turn to chuckle as she gasped softly at the size of me._

 _She glanced up as I made the noise and rolled her eyes at me beaming with masculine pride._

 _I flipped her over and laughed softly as I began kissing her neck, relishing in the sounds of her gentle moans, and feeling of her fingers playing with the ends of my hair._

 _I breathed in heavily. God she smelled divine, a sort of mixture of her own feminine scent combined with a soft lavender scent._

 _I wound my hands in that glorious thick mane of hers, and gently nipped at the sensitive skin behind her earlobe, causing her beautiful body to rock up against me. Our breathing became laboured, as my lips slowly made their way back to hers along her jawline, and hovered above her own, in a similar way my shaft was pressed up against the soft lips of her core, waiting for the contact we both so desperately craved._

 _Except it never came._

 _She suddenly disappeared._

 _I flipped over the sheets and duvet, tossing and turning the never ending silk to try and find her, becoming more and more panicked with each second that had past since I lost her._

 _"Roza!" I shouted, begged for her to hear me._

 _"Please! I'm sorry! I realise now! It's you I choose. It's you I want. It's you I love. Come back to me, please!' I pleaded, tears threatening to fall as it sunk in that she had gone._

 _I collapsed on the bed and pulled the covers over me, wishing that I could hide away from the world, when a letter wafted through the air as I lifted the sheets. It floated gently down and landed in my hands._

 _It was addressed to me. And I instantly recognised the messy scrawl. I opened the envelope and found the following words:_

 _ **I am not your Roza anymore…**_

I woke up with a start, knocking over my ink pot in the process, and spilling it over the floor and my waistcoat.

Silently cursing God, if such a being did exist, I picked up the ink pot without bothering to clear it up. The maids could do that.

I dabbed my now ruined waistcoat in vain, tossing the handkerchief behind me before scrubbing my face to rid myself of the remains of sleep.

54 days.

That's how long it had been since she left. And with each passing day, I found a piece of me slowly died.

It was as if she brought life to me, to my mundane, tedious life.

It is strange, is it not? How one can be so oblivious to the complete and utter difference a person makes to you life, until they are gone.

And now she is gone, and I felt myself withdraw into my previous self once more.

I had closed myself off from people, from my family, acquaintances, and Tasha.

I sighed. I had been sat here pondering this for quite some time, before I fell asleep at the desk. I picked up my quill, and hesitantly wavered it over the paper, unsure on how to proceed.

The papers in front of me almost seemed to beg for me to answer. It was a proposition by Lord Ozera, Tasha's father, to invest in a business of his. It was one of the reasons this marriage had been forced together unnaturally. Our marriage meant good business relations and propositions, and Lord Ozera had been pushing me to give him an answer before the date of the wedding. I had no doubt that this would influence the nature of the marriage. It was too late, by anyone's standards, to back out now, but if I declined his proposition, this marriage would be all the more difficult to bear with.

Mother insisted that I sign my share in it. But if only she knew what it truly proposed.

Lord Ozera was interested in one thing: my money. I, or rather the Belikov family was wealthier than his, by a good 5,000 or so.

And naturally, this would not do for him, second best. So he had taken the initiative to join in on the booming financial situation in the county due to the every increasing industrialisation, and embark on an industrious venture of his own. He was a shrewd man, and I had every confidence that this business of his would achieve great monetary success.

But I could not go through with it.

He wanted to set-up a mill of some sort, but with that came child labour.

I was not a sentimental man, but one could not help but reason that this was too far. Perhaps before Roza, I would have signed, but life, and people in it, seemed to matter so much more to me now. Maybe that was a sign of my ever increasing weakness. Father would not have hesitated like I.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead, thinking about the woman I was forced to be with in place of her.

Tasha. On paper, this marriage made perfect sense, just as the business deal did. Handsome, titled and wealthy… we were ideal.

But my heart was not in it.

I had tried, despite my inadequate feelings towards her, to give her some of the admiration she deserves.

Feigning emotions was relatively simple beforehand, but once you experienced the real thing, the pretence seemed all the more difficult.

The charade was now quickly becoming more than just tiresome, it felt wrong.

Mother had insisted that we talked after noticing I wasn't my usual self, or rather, that since Rose's departure, I had gone back to my usual self. But alas, if I were to talk about it, it would make the emotion all the more raw and prominent. And emotions are a sign of weakness.

So no, I kept my head down and continued with the wedding plans, and discussed my marriage to be much as one would discuss the weather; with boredom and a mere futile way to pass the time.

Babushka, however, was a different story altogether. She knew, in that uncanny, way of hers, that something was not quite right.

I swear, had we been centuries earlier, she'd have been burnt at the stake for being accused of witchcraft. And as ludicrous as the notion of being a witch seemed nowadays, if you had met babushka, it was easy to see how it could be true.

She kept looking at me in that knowing way of hers, and shaking her head in disapproval. But in what, I had no idea. This was the right thing for the both of us, wasn't it?

And even if it wasn't. It was too late. I had lost her.

I remembered that strong, defiant look in her eyes as she said those fatal words...

"I'm not your Roza anymore." I felt a chill down my spine and shivered. From the moment she said those words, I knew I had lost her.

I kept trying to convince myself it was for the best, but with each fond memory of her, it became harder to ingrain in my mind.

But I had to keep reminding myself what Ivan had told me. She didn't love me anymore.

* **Flashback** *

 _I needed to speak with her. I needed to make my feelings clear. I charged down the hallway, uncharacteristically frantic and manic for me. In fact, I could not remember ever feeling this lost in my life. I always had a tight control over my emotions and actions- until I met Rose that was._

 _And now I was about to lose her. But that simply was not a possibility._

 _After she had thrown me out of her, well… my chambers, it made me really think about us. And I mean really think._

 _Sure, I knew I had deep feelings towards her, but it had always been a conscious effort on my part to bury them deep enough in the hope that they didn't rear its ugly head._

 _But when I felt like I had lost her for good, the emotion I had been bottling up seemed to explode. It was as if every cell in my body protested to her rejection of me, and in all my time on this earth, I had never felt such a strong feeling of being the greatest idiot to grace it._

 _The thought of subjecting myself to a life of misery with Tasha, when the one filled with excitement, lust and possibilities with Rose was right here In front of me, made the decision easy._

 _I was going to chase my Roza, whilst I still had a chance. If she rejected me now, after I had a chance to say my part, then at least I would not spend the rest of my life wondering 'what if'._

 _And so, here I was, rushing around to find her before I lost the courage to do so._

 _Unfortunately, my path took me along the "Belikov hall". And with every step I took, it was as if I could feel my father's judgement radiating from his painting, as his eyes seemingly followed me._

 _I tried to shake off the wariness that was beginning to build up, and made sure to focus on Roza, not my Father's judgement from the grave._

 _I had reached the end of the hallway when I ran into Ivan._

 _"Ooomph. What are you made out off? I swear they could replace our ten horses for you!" He chuckled._

 _But I was in too much of a rush to even acknowledge him, and mumbled some feeble form of apology, and continued on my search. Ivan quickly caught up to me, however, and soon his footsteps fell in sync with my own._

 _"Woah, slow down there! I knew I said you could replace my ten horses, but that does not mean you have to prove yourself anymore!" He joked, and tried to stand in front of me._

 _I was quickly losing my patience with him, and the scathing look I gave him made him appreciate that I was not in the mood today._

 _"Where are you off to in such a rush anyway?" He questioned._

 _I waved my arm in a dismissive motion, wishing it was as easy as batting an irksome fly away._

 _"I need to speak to someone. It is of the utmost importance, so I suggest you bid me farewell this instance, lest you get in my way more than you have already done." I snapped harshly. It would have no doubt earnt me a clipped ear from mother had she been within earshot._

 _His eyes suddenly brightened with realisation_

 _"You can't see her!" He declared._

 _"How did you know I meant Ro-_

 _Wait! What?! Why ever not?!" I growled back at him, primal jealousy consuming me._

 _He rolled his eyes at me, "You and your masculine pride can calm down! It's not like tha-" he was cut off instantly by my hand around his throat as I pinned him up against the wall._

 _"She is NOT yours. She is mine." I snarled at him._

 _His eyes widened, "For God's sakes. Stop leaping to conclusions and listen man! I have no interest in Rose that way! Well… I do, what man wouldn't, but-" he spluttered as his last comment earned him a squeeze of my hand around his neck._

 _"No… wait…. Dimitri…" he tried to choke out, and as his eyes bulged and his face went purple, I knew immediately I had gone too far. I let go of him and took a step back, not quite believing what I had done._

 _He coughed and sputtered, recovering himself, before straightening out his suit jacket and running a hand through his hair._

 _"Good God man! This is what I mean!" He gestured between us maniacally, and I shot him a questioning look._

 _"You are in far too deep! You and Rose… I can tell you're in love with her, as your fit of jealousy just showed!" He shouted at me, voice still hoarse from my tight hold._

 _Out of habit, I was about to protest, but realised it was useless. If I wished to convince Roza of my feelings towards her, I would have to tell the rest of the world too soon enough._

 _"What of it? You have met her. How can I not?" I tried to defend myself._

 _"It's no good for the two of you. You know that. Your title will be compromised, the respect your family has built over the years. And her dignity will be ruined."_

 _"I don't care. I don't care about any of that. Not anymore. I… I love her. I don't expect you to understand. But I have tried to fight it for so long now, and it is of no use. I can no longer hide it."_

 _He looked momentarily astonished by my little speech, and I used the opportunity to push past him to find her._

 _Needless to say, he continued following me, calling me behind and telling me to stop._

 _I had reached the corridor that held her room, and I took deep breath before approaching her door. This was it. In the next five minutes I would know if I had truly lost the love of my life due to my own idiocy and stubbornness._

 _I was just about to knock on, when I felt an hand yank me backwards and push me against the wall._

 _"I wanted to spare you, Dimitri. Listen… I've offered her a place at my residence i-" Ivan warned._

 _I was taken aback, the feeling of betrayal cutting deep into my being._

 _"You did what?!"_

 _He sighed deeply._

 _"It's not what you think! I have offered her a position as my maid. You need to be separated."_

 _"That is not your decision to make. If she wished to proceed and move in with you after I have spoken to her, then fair enough, but until then, she is my maid, and my love, so I shall decide what happens." I growled back, and I could feel my temper quickly rising again._

 _He looked away for a second, almost looking guilty. Almost._

 _Without looking me in the eye, he said, "It is her decision. She doesn't feel the same way about you, not anymore."_

 _My whole world seemed to come crashing down in those few seconds, and my mouth went completely dry._

 _"You're lying." Was all I managed to choke out._

 _He shook his head slightly, and I tried to search his face for any insincerity on his part, except there was none._

 _"She told me herself. So I offered her a position at my residence. She has yet to accept and has until the morning. But if you truly love her, Dimitri, as you say you do, then you will let her go. You say that you don't care now, that you will give up everything for her, but I know you, and I know you carry the weight of your Father's pride on your shoulders. And you do not want to dishonour your family. You will never follow through with it. We both know that."_

 _Perhaps his words meant sense, but moments ago I had been so sure that this is what I wanted, and so the jealous part of me lashed out again._

 _"So what? You're going to find her and talk to her. Then what? The two of you get to skip off into the sunset merrily?"_

 _"You and I know that will never happen, even if I did feel the same way as you do about her, I could never disrespect you like that. We have been friends long enough that I hope you can trust me on this._

 _I am not doing this to be cruel, Dimitri. It is for the best. Be the honourable man, and let her go. Let her move on, so that you can both live the lives you were born to lead. "_

 _I closed my eyes, perhaps to allow the words to soak in more. Did the selfish part of me want to keep her for myself? Undubiously. But I knew I could not. Perhaps if she felt the same way. But knowing she didn't, I knew I could never be so cruel and force a life on her that she did not want._

 _And it is with that thought, the thought that she deserved more, that I turned around and walked away._

 _Hoping that the way my heart hurt was only temporary, and that it would make me stronger as it healed. It was a painful reminder that my father was right. To feel was to be weak._

 ***End of flashback** *

I put down my ink pen on the desk, and leaned back with my eyes closed. My jaw tensed and flexed.

Thinking about Rose… I couldn't do it.

She may have once had to work in a mill, or atleast knew of someone that had. Even if she hadn't done, she was far too good of a person to even consider it.

Sighing heavily, I picked up the papers and tossed them into the fireplace, watching with some degree of satisfaction as they slowly burnt to a crisp.

As the last of the paper died into a dancing ember, I strode out of the room and into the corridor, finding my grandmother staring at me, and glancing rather obviously at my stained clothing.

As my grandmother walked past me, she shook her head and shot me a scathing look that could burn holes through walls.

She muttered sharply to herself, "такой глупый мальчик"

And I had the feeling that she wasn't referring to the spilt ink.

* * *

 ** _Author's note_**

 ** _такой глупый мальчик= such a foolish boy._**

 ** _How heartbreaking is it that Dimitri was about to confess his love for her, before Ivan intervened? It was with the best intentions, Ivan thought he was sparing them both a lot of heartache, but nevertheless, he unwittingly ended up causing more in the long run with his lie that Rose didn't love him anymore._**

 ** _A DPOV was in high demand judging from reviews, and I can only hope it didn't disappoint too much. He isn't the easiest of characters to write for._**

 ** _And yes… he has undergone quite the character change, but I think it was crucial that we see his character develop in a way._**

 ** _Thank you all so much for the reviewed 29! Just wow. I have not had time to thank everyone, but I will definitely message everyone who left a review._**

 ** _Thank you to everyone who has read and is still following this story too! Your support means everything!_**

 ** _I'm sorry it's been a while. My depression has been awful this past week._**

 ** _It's a constant battle, and my thoughts and prayers go out to anyone out there fighting a mental illness. May God bless that you find the strength to heal._**

 ** _And to Sky… thank you so much. I've always loved baking, and it's been the one thing that I've found can take my mind off everything and give me a break from the depression. Which is weird because you'd have thought it would make it worse with the anorexia haha. Ah well. Pretty messed up I guess :) But thank you. Your words are so encouraging, especially since I'm crapping myself for this course hahaha._**

 ** _Sorry for the long Author's note._**

 ** _Thank you again for reading and reviewing, and I can't wait to write the next few chapters. Super excited for what's to come!_**

 ** _Love Emma xxx_**


	22. Chapter 22

"Eeeeewwwww" I groaned loudly enough for him to hear.

I delicately picked up the spoilt sheets, being careful to avoid the stains that resulted from Ivan's adventures with his whore last night.

He chuckled from his washroom and declared, "I can't help it when the ladies drape themselves all over me!"

I scoffed quietly and muttered snarkily, "Yes, only because you pay"

"I do indeed. And I also pay you a pretty farthing, so I suggest you get back to work and prepare my bed for tonight! Chop chop! There's a dear now." Came his reply.

I rolled my eyes at his lack of shame. I disagreed strongly with his use of whores, and not because I believed in the traditional marriage before sex deal.

I did, but it was more the fact that he was using these girls, exploiting their vulnerable position. But then, one could argue they made that choice. I fought it, when Stan suggested that, but my mother willingly began selling her body of her own accord.

Nevertheless, even if they made that decision, it was one based on desperation and a seemingly lack of other options.

I had protested, initially, after moving in, and told him it went against my morals and principles. As he pointed out, however, it was his house and his roof, and he could do as he pleased. I was merely the housekeeping, and could easily be replaced. It was tempting to walk out, and stand by how I felt, but it would mean being faced with square one once more. After all, beggars cannot be choosers, as the expression goes, and as of such, I fulfilled my duty of cleaning the bedding after nights such as the last. And many a night that was too.

A couple of months had passed, and they had indeed seemed dreadfully slow.

Ivan had been very good to me in that time. Sure, his unsavoury habits at the night-time did irk me to no end, but other than that, I had no reason to complain. He treated me with respect and never once tried to be inappropriate with me, save for the odd comment made in jest.

I had a simple room, not quite as grand as my previous one at the Belikov residence, and I mostly kept to myself. There was not half as many staff here, for the fact that Ivan was the only person here to serve.

I had my work to occupy my mind, but it was at night, when there were no distractions, that I struggled the most. The loneliness would consume me, and I often found myself wishing that I had never pushed _him_ away, I would lay in my sheets and imagine just what would have happened I not rejected him.

It was easy to say repeatedly that he didn't love me. That I made the right decision. That I was strong, and so much better off this way.

But believing it was a different matter. I would find myself wondering what he was doing, whether he ever thought about me, whether he too got up in the middle of the night, not being able to sleep with wondering constantly, what if…..

I scoffed. Not likely.

I hadn't realised that I had been frozen in place when someone cleared their throat behind me.

Ivan emerged in fresh clothes, having washed and shaved just now.

He draped an arm around me, and much to my greatest annoyance, ruffled my hair like one would do to a dog. He seemed to read my mind.

"What do I keep telling you? You need to move on from him. No use in dwelling on the past when the present is here for the taking, hmm?"

I rolled my eyes at him. I had disclosed everything to Ivan when I first came here. He demanded that he knew just what had happened to make sure that he had made the right decision in taking me on.

And surprisingly, he had a good ear for listening to my tale, and a comfortable shoulder to cry on, in a moment of weakness when I had felt most alone, and could not get Dimitri off my mind for the life of me.

We shared an almost sisterly-brotherly type of bond, and whilst I knew I would never grow as close to him as I did to Mason, he was, after all, still my employer, it felt nice to have someone looking out for me again.

"Come, my dear, shall we take a turn around the room?" He held out his arm, bowed and ready for me to link.

I laughed at him. He was so different to Dimitri- so carefree and relaxed. He was nowhere near as tightly wound.

I accepted his request, and we began a leisurely pace around the room. It was something we did quite often when it was just the two of us, as it made it more comfortable for us to talk to each other, almost as if it made the air between us less formal. There was nothing romantic about it at all. On the contrary, I felt nothing of the sort for Ivan, and I'm sure he felt a similar way to me.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I took our dear Dimitri on a trip to experience the local goods?" Ivan asked.

"Dimitri had a trip to the markets? I would have thought he'd deem the notion beneath him." I scoffed at the thought of Dimitri associating and mingling with the commoners.

Ivan merely sniggered at me, and smiling broadly he said "You and your sweet, young ways. Naivety is not a turn on for a man, you know."

I shot him a questioning look, and his smile became wider.

"Hmmmm… I'm not sure I want to corrupt such innocence with talk about deviant sexual acts with the local whores."

My eyes widened in realisation. "You took him to a brothel?!" I shouted at him, and smacked his arm, harder than I had intended.

"OW!" he cried, somewhat exaggerating the pain to tease me, which served to irk me more.

"You deserve it you disgusting" _smack_ "pig" _smack_ "of a man!" _smack_ , _smack_ , _smack_.  
"Hey, he came of his own volition!"

"Did he…" I didn't finish the rest of the question. I was unsure I wanted to know the answer. I knew he was engaged to wed Tasha, but the thought of him using a whore was entirely different. It disgusted me. But perhaps that was what was needed? It would make find too great a fault in his character for me to find attractive.

Ivan sensed my hesitation, and answered the question anyway, chuckling lightly.

"No, he did not."

Damn. I had hoped that he had to stop me holding him up on such a high pedestal.

 _Did you really though, Rose? You know you would never wish to stop loving him_. A voiced at the back of my mind whispered, and I shook it off as Ivan continued.

"He told me that none of the girls were handsome enough to tempt him, but in reality? He was too honourable, and wanted to wait until after marriage, as his family had always taught him was right. His father used whores a lot, and he desperately did not want to turn into the same man. He believed marriage was a sacred thing, and told me some years later that he wished to experience that sort of thing with the woman he loved, not with one that he knew would not remember him the next day.

Either that, or he was afraid he couldn't possibly match up when they had all experienced me."

I scoffed and glared at him. He always seemed to make a joke out of everything.

He laughed boisterously, "Oh, how I wish you would not look upon with me such disdain. For all my wicked ways, I have a good heart, deep down."

"Yes, buried all the way underneath that crap." He laughed, and his face took on mock seriousness.

"Tut tut, Miss Hathaway, language please." And he waggled his finger at me, feigning disapproval.

I giggled along with him, and realised he had succeeded in taking my mind off Dimitri. As much of a buffoon the man was, his heart was good, as he had said.

There was a sudden knock on the door, causing us both to jump up, and a man servant entered, requesting Ivan's presence downstairs.

"Pardon me, Sir, but there is a Mr Mazur here for you."

Ivan immediately sobered up, and his eyes narrowed, and lips set in a straight, firm line. Gone was the carefree man I had just laughed with seconds ago.

He quickly made his way downstairs, and I hastily followed, curious as to whom the man was that could cause such a stir in Ivan's behaviour.

He was not even a Lord, by the sounds of it, so I mused as to whether it was his physical appearance that bothered Ivan so.

We made our way downstairs, where there was indeed a man waiting for us.

I stayed a few feet away, hidden behind Ivan, to get a good look at the fellow.

The man was of average height, and reasonably slight build. His hair was a very dark brown, almost so much so that it looked black, in a certain light. He had a small, peculiar looking beard, one I hadn't seen before, and dark, shrewd looking eyes. He dressed incredibly ostentatiously, with a bright canary yellow cravat, and matching handkerchief poking out of his breast pocket. There was something familiar about him, as if I knew him from somewhere, and could not quite place my finger on it.

The man himself, did not look physically threatening, and thus made me even more curious to know why he was here.

Ivan cleared his throat, and straightened his suit jacket, something I noticed he did when he was nervous.

"Mr Mazur. How may I help you this fine day?" Though his words were perfectly polite, his voice was void of all pleasantries.

"I came here to remind you of that… business arrangement we made. You have yet to pay your end of the deal, and we would not wish for that debt to be exchanged for something else now, would we?" He kept his amicable smile plastered on his face, but there was something in his eyes that told me his intentions were anything but pure.

"Relax, Mr Mazur..." Ivan began, but quickly shut up as that earned him a look from the man himself. Apparently, he didn't like being told what to do. That made two of us.

"I mean… I have the money right here." He patted his breast pocket, and took a handkerchief out of his sleeve, and proceeded to wipe the sweat that had accumulated on his brow. I had never seen Ivan so physically affected by anything before, and it amazed me just what affect Mr Mazur had by standing here. He had hardly said a word, as far as I was concerned. Clearly, this 'business deal' was considerably shady.

"But let's not discuss this in front of the women, eh? Housekeep" he clicked his fingers in the air.

It took me a moment to realise he was addressing me, ever so rudely. He always respected me enough to use my name. Apparently he was trying to portray a certain image in front of this man.

" fetch us some tea as we discuss his I'm further detail in the drawing room."

I rolled my eyes at him, taking offense at his belief that women had fragile minds, and could not be exposed to anything remotely bad natured, "Thank you Sir, I greatly appreciate being excused, lest my delicate and sensitive womanly nature be tainted by your masculine on goings." I mock curtseyed and my sarcasm earnt me a snigger from our guest. That is, until he finally looked at me, and all humour (and colour for that matter) drained from his face.

He stood there, frozen like a statue, and it was then we realised he was going into shock.

"Quick, Hathaway, give him a brandy for God's sakes, the man is in great shock!" Ivan cried, eyes frantic with fear at the thought of having Mr Mazur's death on his hands. He must really be a powerful man.

I quickly grabbed the brandy decantor and poured a glass, rushing back to the man and pressing it to his lips.

Within seconds, his glazed over dark orbs returned to their naturally sharp and narrowed state, and he batted Ivan away, hissing at his fussing hands.

"Enough, man! I am quite alright. And you..." he turned to me, and I stood up straighter, refusing to shrink under his gaze.

I had never let a man intimidate me before, and he was no exception to the rule.

And strangely enough, there seemed to be a shine of pride in his watchful eyes when he acknowledged my attitude towards him, but it was gone before I could look further into it.

"... Follow me." He gestured with his finger for me to follow, and after exchanging a confused glance with Ivan; I trailed behind him, wondering what on earth he could want from a woman like me.

Perhaps it was naïve of me to allow myself to be alone in the company of a strange man, but he had not looked at me through lust driven lenses, as men often did, he regarded me with curiosity, and a deal of respect too. I felt safe with this man, which is why I found the situation all the more bizarre. He was clearly dangerous.

He took me to the grounds outside.

They were not particularly grand, such as the Belikov grounds were, but it was beautiful in its simplicity. It had a small pond, with a small wooden bridge arching over it. In the daylight, one could see the small family of ducks residing there, and watch the rest of the wildlife that were drawn to the scene. At night time, one could lie back near the reeds of the pond, and watch the blanket of stars above, grated the sky was clear. Trees dotted the remainder of the garden, some baring fruit, whilst others adored the most striking blossom that one had ever seen. And that was it. As I said, it was simple, but still beautiful. That's not to say I didn't miss the grounds at the Belikovs', in fact, standing here now, I wish to God that I could have been whisked away.

My attentions were turned back to present time as the strange man ahead of me came to a sudden halt.

Once we were safely outside, away from nosy intruders, he didn't hesitate in his interrogation of me.

"State your full name." he said shortly.

"Why? Am I under arrest or something, officer?" I replied snarkily, finding this whole situation ludicrous.

"Your full name please. I am a busy man and don't have time for your tomfoolery." He stated again, keeping that calm and collected exterior polished to perfection.

"You already heard it from Ivan. Who's the one wasting time now?" I shot back, putting my hands on my hips.

The man did not as much as blink in frustration. Most people would have snapped by now, and left me alone due to my abilities to irk, but I guess I had met my match.

He coolly took a pipe out of his pocket, and snapped his fingers sharply. Out of nowhere, a man appeared and lit it for him, bowing gracefully before slinking away into the shadows.

He took a long drag of his pipe, blowing rings of smoke as he exhaled, and leant back against a tree, as if nothing had happened.

"Okay… so who the hell was that man, and where did he just appear from?" I asked, bewildered. Was this an intimidation tactic, if so, it wasn't going to work on me.

He ignored my question, and proceeded to stroll around the little pond. The water was a sparkling clear hue, and if one looked closely enough, you could see the little fish scarpering at the sudden movement nearby.

He didn't answer, and continued puffing his pipe.

"Very well. If you do not wish to answer, then I shall have to speak for you." He finally looked back at me, and watched with amusement as I crossed my arms, smirking at his ridiculousness.

"Oh, you can now read minds, can you? How very impressive Mr Mazur. I bet you can't possibly guess what thoughts are going through my mind concerning you."

Once again, he didn't react to my ridicule of him, increasing my own frustration.

He raised an eyebrow, and smiled at me, baring his teeth,

"I have many talents. And I can assume to know what thoughts are going through your mind, Rosemarie Hathaway."

I gasped as shock consumed me, "How did you know….?" I trailed off, hating that I was giving him the satisfaction of the response he clearly desired.

"Your reaction, my dear, confirmed everything." He continued smoking his pipe as if it was nothing.

I scoffed, "Lucky guess. You don't even know me." It was apparent that he did though, and he didn't see through my act of trying to undermine his arrogance.

"On the contrary, I know more than you would think possible."

When he saw that he had succeeded in annoying me, he shook his head and laughed lightly, noting with a large degree of smugness; "You're good my dear, very good. But you can never match up to the original."

And with that, the enigmatic man took his leave and went back inside the residence, leaving me standing there, gawping after hum like an imbecile.

So many questions whizzed around in my head, like little flies around leftover food.

 _How did that man know my name? What else did he know about me? Why was he so familiar? Just who was Mr Mazur, and what was his business? And finally, why did he take specific interest with me?_

I quickly decided I needed to make an appearance inside, else the cocky bastard know he had stunned me with his "Oooh, I'm oh-so-mysterious crap."

As I entered the drawing room, bringing tea as I came, Mr Mazur was towering over Ivan, who sat, plastered to his chair, arms clutching the armchair so much so that his knuckles where turning a pale white hue. I cleared my throat, causing Ivan to jump (what with his nerves being so shot already) and Mr Mazur to give Ivan one last intimidating glare before stepping back.

"I thought I told you to excuse us girl?! This is not a social gathering for heavens' sakes!" Ivan cried.

A snappy retort was on the tip of my tongue, when the manservant entered the room after a series of knocks.

Ivan groaned loudly and scrubbed his face in his hands, "Apparently this is such an event, and even the bloody housekeep are invited!"

"Apologies, Sir, for the interruption, but you have another guest."

Ivan's brow furrowed in confusion, clearly indicating that he did not know who this guest was, implying that they had turned up uninvited.

The manservant continued, and stepped to the side to welcome the guests into the room.

"Introducing Mr Ivashkov and his fiancée Lady Belikov."

Time seemed to stand still as I took in his form, or rather that of the woman beside him.

"No…." I whispered as my eyes widened with recognition. I rubbed them in the hope that once I opened them again, I would find myself very much mistaken.

But no. It was undoubtedly her.

"Viktoria…."

I heard a dramatic huff come from across the room that would have been humorous in any other circumstance.

"Why doesn't everyone come in and make themselves at home?" Ivan muttered sarcastically, lying back in his chair, as he physically deflated.

* * *

 _ **Author's note**_

 _ **First of all, I am SO sorry for the delay. The depression has been horrible again, and I've really lacked the motivation to do anything. I've also had trouble in my personal life too that I have found very difficult to deal with. And finally, I was all ready to update, and the computer crashed -_- meaning I lost the editing I had done to the final draft.**_

 _ **Thank you all so much for the reviews though. I think I've replied to them all for the last chapter, but if I didn't, then please let me know! And thank you to all of the guests who reviewed too! :)**_

 _ **Thank you for all of the reviews and kind words. Your ongoing support of this story, and me and my depression, has been truly heart warming 3**_

 _ **Please keep the reviews coming! What did you think of Abe? Was Adrian's engagement to Viktoria a shock?**_

 _ **More twists to come!**_

 _ **It's nearly three in the morning here in the UK, so I apologise for the lateness of the update!**_

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _Emma xxx_**


	23. Chapter 23

Contrary to the mood of everyone else of the room, Viktoria was beaming from ear to ear. With her youth and naivety, she was misplaced in an environment clouded with despair, threats and sleaze, such as this one was.

She looked beautiful, and was practically glowing. Her hair was tied up elegantly, and she wore a deep purple corseted gown.

Her beauty did not belong in a room with such heinous creatures present.

With that thought, my attention was drawn to Adrian. He was dressed smartly, for once, with a deep brown suit and waistcoat, and very expensive pocket watch hanging out of his left breast pocket. But I could not look upon him in the same way as previously. It was strange to think that I once believed he was handsome, for I only saw him as the ugly beast that lay within that aesthetically pleasing exterior.

Her positive energy made the rest of us internally cringe (or outwardly in Ivan's case), as she was clueless as to what was going on here.

They do say ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

"Rose!" She gasped when she noticed me.

Viktoria ignored Ivan's attitude and continuous groans at the arrival of our new company, and ran to me, almost knocking me over in the process.

I was still in a state of shock, and stood there awkwardly with my hands hanging by my side until I realised she was probably crushing me to death, and grabbed her arms in an attempt to shove her off.

Vika, oblivious to my apparent oncoming death-by-bearhug, started shrieking, shoving her perfectly manicured finger in my face.

"Rose! Rose! Look at it! Look at it! Isn't it gorgeous, isn't he wonderful, aren't I lucky?!" Her words came out in a string of incoherent excited mumble jumble as she gushed over the giant sparkling rock residing on her left hand, and it took me a few moments to catch up to speed.

"Yeah, yeah sure, it's… new." I scrambled for a word to suit the situation, as it was anything by ideal, but my shock addled mind was hazy, and my sentences came out almost as idiotic sounding as hers.

She didn't notice my lack of enthusiasm, as hers more than made up for it, and she continued jumping up and down and rambling on.

Ivan, spotting the male company, ran to Ivashkov, and something told me that once he recognised who the company was, he was more than happy to excuse himself from the intense conversation with Mr Mazur. The latter of whom was soon inundated by Vika as she cornered the strange man as soon as she saw him, and began gushing about her news. It made me wonder how she knew him.

"Ivashkov! Another one of your quick engagements, hmm? I must hand it to you, this one is sure a beauty."

Ivan clapped Adrian on the back in 'congratulations'.

I sighed. Men.

Adrian laughed, and smiled, a genuine smile I had not seen before.

"It is different with her. I believe, as they say in the stories, she is the one."

Ivan grinned impishly, commenting,

"Ahh yes, just as Lady Zuchev, Lady Kristi, Lady Bustler, Lady Belikov- the senior…

They both snorted obnoxiously with laughter, and it took everything within me not to knock their hollow heads together.

"Lady Dooran, Lady Erind and Lady Hatham were the one?"

Adrian shook his head amusedly, suddenly becoming lost in thought.

"No… before Viktoria, I was a selfish man, no better than a common whore. But she has shown me what true love means, and just why someone would wish to spend their rest of their life with another. I always ridiculed those who wed-it tied them down. But with her… I can't imagine a better way to live my life, and I feel like I have never truly experienced the joys of it before she came along." His eyes looked behind me where Vika was conversing with Mazur, the latter of whom looked extremely bored with such trivial affairs.

Or rather, it was as if he was distracted, as his gaze kept switching between Adrian and myself.

I looked back at Adrian, confused.

He was extremely convincing, but almost too much so.

He most certainly looked as though he was in love with her- the tell tale signs of love showed as his eyes glazed over, and a small, soft smile graced his lips as he stared at his woman. And whilst I desperately wished it was the case, I could not help but think that he was hiding something in those Emerald eyes of his.

If he was lying about his newfound love and appreciation for life, then he was most certainly a talented actor.

The two of them continued conversing, moving onto other topics, and I excused myself from the situation.

I could make neither head nor tail of it all. First, the mysterious man, Mazur, and his disconcerting knowledge of me, and then the engagement between a most unlikely couple.

Although, the more I thought about, the more I supposed it wasn't all that inconceivable.

Vika was naïve, young,and more than eager to prove her maturity to her family, being the youngest, and Adrian would naturally take advantage of this.

The unlikely thing was this supposed love between them. Perhaps I was a pessimist. Lord knows I had more than an abundance of reasons to become one.

But even with my understanding of my miserable outlook on life due to my own experiences, I could not shake the feeling that there was an underlying, ulterior motive behind this.

And it was with this uneasy suspicion, that when I had the opportunity, I cornered Ivashkov in the indoor lavatory.

"What the hel-" he exclaimed, but was cut off when I shoved him harshly, slamming the door in the process.

"Listen here Ivashkov…." I started, growling and squaring up to him so his back hit the wall.

Was intimidation a cheap tactic? Of course it was, but I was not a woman of great intellect, and Lord knows I was not using my body to entice answers out of him.

Though, for some reason, he seemed to believe it was the latter.

"Woah, steady on there Miss Hathaway!" He practically shouted, and I wondered why the hell he was raising his voice so loudly.

"I know you find me irresistible, but I'm an engaged man now, bound my honour, loyalty and dedica-"

I clamped my hand over his mouth, realising he was yelling so that if anyone saw us going in here, they would not think it was for some seedy quick affair in the toilets.

I shuddered at the thought. His words were a complete contradiction to his body language, as his eyes roamed over my body in the most obvious sexual manner, and I felt him lick his lips under my palm. I yelped, letting go of him and wiping my hand against my dress.

"Okay. You can drop the act now, Ivashkov." I snarled, baring teeth and all. I took a step back, trying my best to calm down. In vain, I might add. Once my anger hit a certain point, there was little I nor anyone else could do to rein it back in.

I whirled back to him, pointing accusingly.

"Do not believe for one second that I have fallen for your bullshit!" I jabbed him in the chest, my anger quickly overpowering me.

He raised an eyebrow at me, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"Why, whatever do you mean, sweet Rose? I love her with all my heart! How dare you accuse me of such a thing!" He cried, playing a wounded soldier and clutching his heart dramatically.

His antics were becoming more irksome by the second, and he knew it.

With a deep breath, I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose in an attempt to seek clarity and calm down.

"Why? Why her, Adrian. She is so innocent and sweet."

When I opened my eyes again, his face took on a different appearance altogether. He was the sleazy, conceited pain in the ass that I recognised all too well, and my skin crawled as I witnessed the transition between personalities so quickly.

He shrugged nonchalantly.

"She is tolerable, I guess. Though purely for her looks. Her personality is far too draining. I have never heard such incessant chatter come from another's mouth before. Honestly, it has driven me to my vices again." Chuckling, he withdrew a cigar from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag. He now held the cigar and small canister of whiskey in either hand, demonstrating his point.

I, in the meanwhile, stood there like a buffoon with my jaw dropped. My eyes widened and I stared, agasp in horror.

"You… you filthy little scumbag! I knew it!" I threw my hands up in the air in despair. "This was just an act! I knew I was not as foolish as I was inclined to believe at first, I could see through it!"

"My, oh my, little damsel. Your temper is so wild and unruly. Though it is a considerable turn on, let me inform you. My God, one can only dream of what you are like in the bedroom."

I scoffed loudly at him, not hiding the look of disgust I shot him at the image unfolding in my mind at his words.

"I would sooner smother my body in a vat of acid and dissolve in a long, drawn out excruciating death."

He arched an eyebrow at me, and tapped his chin, as if deep in thought, "Hmmm, I think of better things to smother your body with. Preferable ones that I can lick off afterwards." He winked at me, and once again, I found it difficult to believe I had ever found this man attractive. Though in my defense, he was not anywhere near as crude when I first met him.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?!" I exclaimed, only remembering mid sentence that I needed to lower my voice, so as to not attract the attention of the others before I had my answers.

"You are flirting with me, whilst engaged to a dear friend." I hissed at him; the change in dynamic not altering the venom lacing my words.

"Why Rose, that is the cycle of love, I am afraid. If a woman is lucky enough, she catches a bachelor's eye. But that hold can only last so long, before their more attractive friend grabs that attention. And then their more attractive friend turns up, and thus the cycle continues. It is the nature of a male." He spoke with such ease, as if this was common knowledge. He did not care whom he hurt, in fact he was enjoying this, judging by the smirk on his face.

Despite this knowledge, I could not help the small plea that escaped my lips.

"Don't hurt her. Please."

My voice sounded so small, so lost and vulnerable, that had it been any other person, they would undoubtedly have taken pity on me.

Not him though.

"I'm afraid it is far too late, my sweet Rose. We are already engaged to wed soon, and Viktoria is already so excited! That would hardly be fair now, would it?" He asked condescendingly, his mock concern brought a sneer to my lips.

"I am afraid that is inevitable that she gets hurt, at the end of all this. But don't fret too much, my dear. There is a part you can play in choosing the extent to which she suffers."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "So this was all just a game? What possible part can I have in this mess?" I questioned, though I was not sure I wanted to hear the answer.

"It's very simple. We swap her for you."

"You… you wish to marry me instead?!" I asked bewildered. Whatever response I was dreading, nothing could prepare me for this.

"Exactly, if you take her place, then I will spare her completely. Naturally, it is the lesser of two evils, but the choice is yours. Either you marry me, or I shall marry her."

I could not believe that I was hearing this. Surely my ears were deceiving me?

"But why, why the hell do you want me?" I exclaimed. Vika was a beautiful, confident, intelligent girl. And more than that, she had a title and wealth to support her name. I came from a family of whores.

"Because, you see, you are the one thing I could never get. All my life I have had everything given to me. Women being no exception. I have hardly had to work to get a woman to fall at my feet and sleep in my bed, and it was fun for a while, but it soon became tiresome. I wanted a challenge. And you.. you were the perfect opponent. As soon as I saw that fiery spirit of yours, I knew I had met my match. What I did not encounter, however, was that damn Belikov family getting in the way. You escaped me, Rose. You are the only woman to have said no to me. And because of that, I must now make you mine."

I couldn't believe this! This was absurd-I had never heard anything so preposterous!

I threw my hands up in the air, exasperated.

"But it would be against my will! You cannot truly be happy knowing that you forced me into this. You will never experience love. Not from me."

He did not seem to comprehend the ludicrously of his idea, and continued on in that lazy, carefree tone of his.

"Pfft. Love is a foolish emotion. Lust is what drives us, and desire governs us. It does not matter to me, so long as I have the satisfaction of getting you."

An argument suddenly flashed in my mind, "Whatever makes you think that I won't go and tell Vika of your plan right now?

I crossed my arms, suddenly triumphant that I had thought of a loophole.

He was not fazed in the slightest though.

"Because I know you Rose, you are a creature of sentiment. You care too much about her. And I also know her. If you tell her now, she won't believe you. She is already too in love with me.

"What if I tell her family?"

I wasn't done yet, my mind racing as it searched for further ways to undermine him.

"Surely you do not question my intelligence so? I have thought this out thoroughly.

She still will not listen. Her devotion and loyalty lies with me now. And I have been, shall we say, informative of my history with her family. She was the shoulder I needed to cry on when I told her about Sonya, and how she broke my heart. First by leaving me, and aborting the baby without my knowing, then by spinning a tale that portrayed me to be the monster in all of this. It wasn't all that difficult to persuade her against them actually, it was almost appalling the lack of loyalty she had, well, if it had not worked out in my favour."

The manipulative bastard. He was slowly feeding her false information about her family, in order to break her attachment to them.

"She will be broken either way though. By either my betrayal or yours. Why is it better for me to marry you?" I asked, struggling to see how this could possibly be the lesser of two evils.

"Because if you choose to marry me instead, then she will just lose me. However, if you don't accept my proposal, then she will lose everything. I have no intention of staying loyal to her once we are married. Though she is a beautiful woman, she is not enough to quench my thirst. She will soon see me gallivanting about in the whorehouses, but will have lost everything to be able to do anything about it. She can't run back to her family after she rejected them so harshly, for she will be turned against them eventually. And even if they were willing to welcome her back with open arms, her pride would not allow her to do so. She is a proud woman, and will not wish to acknowledge her failure and poor judgement.

She will either lose someone who never loved her in the first place, and granted, a good friend. But the alternative is so much worse; you can make it so that she loses her lover, friends and family."

He truly had thought of everything. His countenance had not changed throughout the entire exchange. He showed no compunction for this twisted plan of his, and relished in watching me squirm like a fish caught on a hook. This was a chase for him, he was the predator, and I was the prey. He could not afford to let me go again, and ergo he enjoyed watching me struggling under his grasp.

His touch brought me out of my deep reverie as he brushed the side of my face with his long fingers. I physically recoiled from the touch. It made me feel dirty and repulsive.

"Think about it, sweet Rose. Lord knows I will be" he winked at me and flashed me a cocky grin, before turning around to leave. When he turned back to speak his final words, his face had transformed into that 'genuine' smile and loved up state I had seen on him earlier. He truly was a manipulative and perfidious man.

"I am not a completely odious creature. The decision had not been taken away from you, I have given you a choice." he claimed, before taking his leave.

I snorted and rolled my eyes,

"How generous, milord." I muttered under my breath, before leaving the room shortly afterwards, eager to try and rationalize with Vika before she left. I had to speak to her and make her know what his plans were. I found her still chattering away to Abe, who looked more than happy when I took her away from him, dragging her harshly by the arm until we stood outside.

I took her to the same place I had stood with Abe-by the little wooden bridge. It seemed like the natural place to start interrogating.

I did not hesitate with my words, there was not time. "You can not marry that man Vika. You do not know what his wicked intentions are with you!"

She immediately started on the defensive, hurt crossing her pretty face.

"Rose! I came here to tell you because I thought that you would be happy for me!"

"Just trust me on this. He is a dreadful man, and has destroyed the hearts of many women." I tried again, but to no avail.

She crossed her arms in defiance, that stubborn streak that defined her coming out in full swing.

"Please Rose, I know you don't approve, but I love him. His reputation is not true- he is such a sweet man and would never hurt me!"

Damn. She really was blinded by her love for him. I tried a different approach.

"What about your family, will they be happy to know of this rash arrangement? And Ivashkov is hardly worthy of your social status! Your family may disown you!"

She replied, confident of her answer.

"Then that's what it may have to be! I love him, so much that it hurts. I have never felt like this before, and if it boiled down to it, I would choose him. If my family can't accept me the way that I am, and respect the fact that I'm old enough to make decisions, then they are not welcome in my life! Besides, after the cruel way that they have treated him, I am not sure that I even know them anymore!

And I thought you out of anybody would understand that love is not restricted by class. I love him, and will stand by him no matter what. If you or my family can't understand that, then I am better off without you."

With each word I felt my heart break a little more. I'm quite positive the colour drained out of my face as the realisation that Adrian was right set it. She did love him too much. I doubt she would believe me or her family if I tried. And a part of me couldn't help but attribute this to her age. She wanted to prove to people that she was mature and old enough to make her own decisions, thus proving she was no longer the baby of the family.

As if reading my mind, she said, "I'm sure they will be delighted that I have found the love of my life. Although I'm not sure Sonya and Karolina will be all too happy to learn that I have beat them to it!" She laughed to herself.

I continued begging, not caring how weak and desperate my voice sounded. She had to believe me.

"Please Vika- he is planing to leave you! He will not stay loyal to you if you wed, in fact..." I hesitated as I debated telling her. I did not know if I could watch her as her heart broke in front of me. But the men looked as if they were wrapping up their conversation, and Adrian, noticing us conversing, began excusing himself away from the men, and started striding towards us. I dragged her further into the garden to buy a little more time. I had to tell her now.

"H-" I ran a hand through my hair, sighing as I prepared myself for her reaction. "He has just asked me to marry him instead."

She stared at me, and I thought her face was about to crumple as she heard this news. But instead, her delicate features contorted with outrage and her face flushed red with anger.

"How dare you say such a thing to me! You lying little whore!" she hissed at me, and I took a step back at her dark tone of voice, not even pretending that her words did not affect me. This was not like Viktoria at all, and this reaction surprised the hell out of me.

"No- I swear this is the truth! I would not make something like this up!" I held my hands up at her, trying my best to show her I was telling the truth.

Her eyes flashed with rage as she continued to deny it."Stop it! Stop lying! I trusted you Rose, I treated you like a sister. And yet here you are, letting your jealously destroy our friendship! "

"But I am not jealous! It is the truth, please, please listen!" I begged, screaming at her. I grabbed her, my fingers digging hard into her silk covered arms. I began shaking her, hoping that I could literally shake the sense into her.

"Get off me!" she shrieked, and shoved me hard into the tree behind me, causing my head to whip back and hit the bark hard.

My vision blurred slightly, but cleared just in time to see Adrian running over to Viktoria as she let out a frustrated scream.

"Just admit that you want him!" she cried out again.

"No-Vika! For God's sakes! I am not jealous of you! I am looking out for you, that is all!" I endeavored to defend myself and stand up straight, causing the world to spin dizzily again. I stumbled unsteadily on my feet and ended up falling flat on my arse again.

I looked up to find Adrian had reached us, and was fussing over Vika, checking for injuries.

"Everything okay, my dear?" Adrian asked, eyebrows furrowed in concern as he looked down at her. He wrapped his arms around her protectively, and she leant into the touch sighing. As I watched him pretending to fawn and care for her I felt nauseous all of a sudden, and it had nothing to do with the bump on my head.

"Everything is fine now that you're here. I have enough of this whore and her tales. May we leave now?" she turned towards him, her features softening as she admired him with adoration.

He reached up and stroked the soft skin of her cheek gently, and affectionately placed a kiss on her forehead. "If that is what you wish." he answered, and held his arm out for her to latch onto. She took it and leant on him, practically clinging on his arm. Before they left, she turned back to me and spat venomously,

"I hate you Rose. I made the mistake of treating you as an equal, but you are clearly unworthy of such treatment. You are nothing but a common whore, trying to steal men away from other women. I hope I never have the misfortune of meeting you again." She sneered at me as she looked down at me, quite literally, with contempt, before huffing and telling Adrian "Let's go."

I sighed heavily before leaning back on the tree trunk in defeat. Adrian had succeeded in manipulating her. I did not blame Vika for her actions and harsh words. Adrian had years worth of experience of manipulating women to bend to his will, and it was evident tonight, judging by how much I had seen her sweet character change, that he had managed to add Vika to his list of conquests. No- this was not her fault. And though my pride had taken quite the beating tonight, I refused to let that cloud my opinion of her. If anything, it made me feel even more sorry for the poor girl.

And that brought about the dilemma of what course of action I should take. The argument for marrying Adrian to spare Vika was becoming stronger by the second, and it was with a heavy heart that I acknowledged that there was no other way I could stop her from marrying him.

The real question was this; how selfless was I willing to be? If I married him, then I may as well be signing a contract with the devil himself, as the rest of my life would surely become a living hell. But I did not know if I could stand by and let that happen to another girl, knowing I could have full well prevented it.

Could I sacrifice myself for someone else?

I turned my head to watch their retreating figures, hating that such a heavy burden was being placed on my shoulders. I did not know what to do. Whereas before I had been convinced there was another way, now there seemed to be no escape.

And almost as if sensing my recognition of this, Adrian looked back at me over his shoulders and smiled slyly and knowingly, before turning back to Vika, continuing to comfort her.

This time the nausea came back in full force, and I threw up on the grass beside me.

* * *

 **Author's note**

First of all- I am sorry for the delay again. All I can say is that the depression got so bad that I ended up hurting myself, and from there on it has been a challenge to deal with.

Secondly, I have send PMs to all those who reviewed, but I did this on the app on my phone, so I am not sure if it worked or not. Could you let me know if you have received it, as I don't want you to think I am ignoring you! :)

And on that note, thank you all so much for reviewing, guests included. It absolutely makes my day when I see them, and it continues to baffle me just how much support this story is getting.

SO... As a result of the support I have received, I thought that I would do a one-shot. It is a working progress, but I can tell you now, it will be VERY M-rated! To give you a clue, the working title is "The Gentleman and the Whore." And it is separate to this story, but also set in the Victorian time period. Let me know if you are interested, and check my page to see the upload in the next week or so.

And what did you think of the chapter? I have been so excited to write this one since the beginning, and found it surprisingly difficult to write my thoughts down. I know Vika was a little OOC, but she reacted in a sort of similar way when Rose questioned her relationship in the books. And- what would you do if you were Rose? What do you think she should do?

Please continue to read and review, and a huge thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed this story.

Love,

Emma xx


	24. Chapter 24

The harsh snapping of twigs crackled through the air as I fumbled my way through the woods. The branches from the trees protruded at all sorts of peculiar angles, twisting and turning, their tangled state mirroring the state of my confused and chaotic strands of thought; all jumbling into one incoherent mess.

The canopy of leaves above seemed to smother me, and the birds tweeting in their nests seemed to taunt and ridicule me.

My life was officially a disaster. It had been since I was born, I think.

From my dysfunctional family and less than conventional upbringing, sleeping rough in the streets, to my pathetic excuse of a mess that was my love life.

And so naturally, the next phase of my life would be this predicament with Adrian and Vika now.

This was the plan; get some fresh air and come back with a fresh new perspective on things.

Only I had been out here the entire morning with no such luck.

Don't get me wrong, the scenery surrounding me was beautiful. Granted, the fact that I kept tripping over prominent roots in the ground, or walking straight into branches was annoying, but it did help to take my mind off things.

And the solitude helped too. These paths were not walked along often, apparently. Gentry, Lords and Ladies lived around the vicinity, and they did not partake in such activities. And people like me, poor and working, seldom found the time to themselves to enjoy such leisure. Fortunately for me, Ivan was attending to that business with Abe Mazur, and wished me out of the house altogether.

Rather bizarrely, Mr Mazur had assured me that we would be meeting again, and even more strangely, I found myself looking forward to it. Though we hardly talked, and he knew an eerie amount of information on me, I felt drawn to him.

Anyway, the walk was quiet and still, and I treasured this time to myself.

I adore being outside. Perhaps it was after being chained away indoors in my adolescence. Or maybe it was because I associated it with those secret meetings with Mason.

I guess it gave me just a taste of freedom. Only a slither though. _Any more would be sheer gluttony, wouldn't it?_ I asked God, rather bitterly.

Nevertheless, the outdoors usually succeeded in giving me that glimpse of freedom one could one dream off.

But not today, for my mind seemed far too preoccupied with the events of late.

Even just thinking about Adrian's offer made me feel dirty and just plain wrong.

Essentially, he was asking me to sell off my body, making me no better than my pathetic excuse of a mother, and pretty much rendering my whole escape from her and Stan pointless and in vain.

But even as I thought about her, I longed for some sort of motherly comfort or advice. But alas, I had no one to turn to in such crisis. I may have thought once that Dimitri was that such person, but it was with a heavy heart that I questioned if I would ever see him again.

I missed him. I missed him so much that it hurt me. I missed his striking good looks, that powerful body, that conceited, but sexy air to him. But I mostly missed that gentle, tender side to him, one that I had only seen him reserve for me in extremely rare circumstances.

I even missed his zen wisdom crap. At Least that would help me with this predicament.

But I did not know if I could turn to him. Partly because of my pride, as it was I that ran away. It took a lot of strength to separate from him, and I did not know if I could be so strong again.

There was also the matter of our different paths in life.

He could move on. He would not have such concerns over his youngest sister, whom I know he was very protective over, and whom saw him as a father figure, having her own father die when she was young.

Their bond was precious, too precious to be broken. Dimitri had enough stress in his life without worrying over Vika, and the miserable existence she would lead if she married Adrian.

Whereas me? He had made it clear to me in the past that though he cared for me, it was not enough for him to compromise his reputation, his social bearing, and his family's opinion of him. He chose Lady Ozera. Thus, he had already disconnected from me. Did I really wish to spend the rest of my life drooling over a man that did not love me the way I loved him?

If I were to marry Adrian? Why, it would only help him to deal with our separation more, help him move on.

But the main reason was because of what it would do to Vika. She needed her family, as I stated earlier, she needed Dimitri in her life. He was the father she never had, in a weird way, what with him being the strong male role model for her to look up to.

I did not think I could take that away from her, take her family away. And I could not do it to him too.

My own father abandoned my mother and I from a young age, and I did not wish to be the source of such pain for Vika.

My life had always been a disappointment, so surely, I could cope with something like this better than them?

But on the other hand, had I not been through enough already? Maybe, just this once, I could be selfish.

I continued through the overgrowth, waiting for that familiar sense of peace I gained when outside to hit me.

I admired the vibrant colours of the blossoming flowers and leaves, breathed in the healthy fresh air, relished the feeling of dull ache in my limbs from the exercise, but no release would come.

I wanted, nay, needed something to take my mind away from the dreadful mess I was placed in.

"Come on Lord, maybe just this once you could allow me some reprieve in life?" I asked the big man upstairs, mumbling and grunting just as my dress snagged on the vegetation.

The bottom of it had got caught on a particularly sharp branch, and thus it rendered me paralysed to the spot.

I groaned loudly. Clearly he was not in a generous mood today.

"Please Big Man." I asked through my gritted teeth, trying to delicately untuck the fabric in vain. My fingers fumbled over the cheap fabric, but to no avail.

Sighing, and quickly losing patience, I grabbed the fabric and yanked it away, releasing me, and unfortunately, half of my dress with it.

I had fallen back on my arse, wondering how the hell this day could get any worse, and why God had specifically targeted me for his own comical needs.

He made my life entertaining, I'd give him that.

Growling in anger, I stood up to assess the damage.

I had been wearing a simple white underskirt beneath my skirt, with a plain brown corset covering the top part of my body. Though the colours were dull and uninteresting, the attire itself attracted attention as it was not all too decent, my cover skirt had helped to provide me with modesty.

Ergo, I was now trampling my way through the woods, with wild hair, half exposed bosom, torn skirt and a muddy, soggy patch on my arse. Perfect.

Any other time, and I would have turned back immediately to get dressed, but what was a little mud in the grand scheme of things?

Mud on my arse…. Potentially life changing decision resting at my hands?

I think I could handle a little mud.

Making the most of my appearance seemed trivial I'm comparison to the concerns I held now.

My feet clumsily made their journey through the wooded area, the walk quickly becoming more irksome by the second, and I found myself too wound up with frustration to enable the sensation of tranquility hitting me.

I was not sure how much time had passed, the sunlight barely peeked through the leaves. But I did know that I was starving, and was not sure how much longer I could wait until my next meal.

I was preparing myself mentally for the possibility of camping out tonight in the rural abode mother nature had to offer, and maybe trying my hand at hunting wild animals with a sharpened stick like a savage, when I suddenly found the light at the end of the tunnel. Literally speaking, not metaphorically.

The archway of dense forestry cleared, exposing a most picturesque scene ahead of me.

The clearing in front of me was quite possibly the most beautiful thing had ever seen in my life. A grand, large expanse of water lay before me, so clear and clean, that the sun bounced off it, giving the impression that the lake was sparkling and glistening with little, dancing stars.

Tall reeds surrounded the lake, lily pads floated on the calm waters, and a carpet of vivid, bright green had been laid out by the God's themselves, so soft and welcoming, that I could not resist but rid myself of my shoes, and allow the silk strands to tickle my feet as I ran along the grass.

The scene was polished by a clear, bright blue sky, with the sun shining boldly and proudly, casting its watchful eye over the expanse below it, warming me to the bone.

I turned my face up to the sky as I made my way towards the lake, relishing in the serenity and calming embrace it gave me. Peace at last.

I had walked down the little hill to get to it, with the intention of washing the mud from my arms and hair, when my ears pricked up at a sudden rustling in the nearby greenery, causing me to leap back into the shelter of the reeds for cover as I observed.

I waited for some form of fascinating wildlife to appear, possibly a family of ducks waddling over to their nests, or a little hare curiously exploring just as I was doing.

What I was not expecting was none other than Dimitri Belikov to make his way towards the edge of the lake, stopping no further than 10 feet away from me.

I studied him as his eyes cast over the lake.

He had changed.

He was still the same handsome fellow he had always been, with his dark, shoulder length hair tied at the nape of his neck, his equally dark and intelligent eyes and full set of lips on that perfectly sculpted masculine face, but he looked different.

It took me a while to try and place what exactly stood out about his appearance. I thought that, at first, it was perhaps the fact that he was dressed rather casually, for him. He simply had on a pair of dark brown slacks, and crisp white shirt, of which the sleeves had been rolled up, because it was a particularly hot and humid day. Though the material was undoubtedly of the highest quality, and extremely expensive, I had not seen him dress like this outside of the comfort of his home, so that in itself was strange. A man of his stature and status did not dress like that in fear of running into someone who might pass judgement.

But on closer inspection, I knew immediately what had changed that struck me so much upon seeing him.

He looked exhausted.

Dark purple circles surrounded his eyes, which had indubiously lost their spark; they were dull and tired looking. His features, though always cut with high and well distinguished cheekbones, were far more caved in, giving his face a look of gauntness and sallow hue. And his lips, though always set in a firm line, always held the chance of a quick witted quip escaping, and would thus often curve into a mischievous and intelligent smirk. Now, however, there was no such possibility for frivolous witticisms as his lips were set in a permanent worn down grimace.

His appearance gave me the general impression of the sort of fatigue one got from lack of sleep and relaxation. It aged him considerably.

He was, however, still impossibly good looking, and it struck me how I found him attractive no matter the way he looked. If anything, his appearance provoked a sense of curious sympathy, and awe at his unconditional handsomeness.

Especially once he began taking off his clothes.

My eyes bulged within their sockets as I scarcely believed what was happening.

I closed my eyes and put my hands together in prayer, mouthing the words "Thank you, Lord" to the sky. I may not be his partner, or even be on the greatest of terms with him, but a woman could appreciate, and enjoy, the sight of a handsome man baring himself to her.

The blessed thing was that he had not even noticed me yet, and proceeded to take his expensive shoes off and strip his torso completely bare, the silk shirt falling to the ground in a heap.

I froze where I stood, afraid that if made sound, this opportune moment for perversion would be ruined, and he wouldn't hesitate to clothe his glorious body.

His body was perfectly sculpted, with broad shoulders, muscular arms, though not too huge, and a chiseled chest, covered lightly in a mass of dark, curly chest hair, that I wished nothing more than to run my fingers through.

 _Oh my._..

I felt something wet hit my chest, and realised with great embarrassment, that I had been drooling unattractively.

I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand, not removing my eyes from his half naked form, in fear of missing something.

He released his hair from its leather bound, and it flowed effortlessly down to his shoulders, completing the look of sheer Godliness and perfection.

I let out a gasp when he suddenly dived gracefully into the crisp, clear water.

The minimal amount of water splashed outwards, a testament to his talent and practice, causing ripples to pool across the lake.

He was submerged under the water for some time, and I found myself growing more than a little anxious.

Though I wish I could say it was all down to my concern as to his safety, a part of me could not help but acknowledge I was eager to set my eyes upon his magnificent form once more.

So it was with a sigh of relief, and possibly lust, when my eyes cast over his form as he emerged out of the water in a fantastic burst, water spraying everywhere.

Seemingly satisfied and refreshed, he waded his way towards the lake's edge, settling down on the narrow path, propped up on his elbows as the rest of his long body sprawled out lazily.

He tilted his head up to the sun, allowing his whole body to glisten and sparkle as the beads of water dripped down him, trailing down his tanned and muscular body, inviting someone, namely me, to lick them off.

I blushed at the indecent thought, but when he reached up slowly, the whole scene running in a perverse slow motion for me, and combed his long hair back with his fingers, any self reservation vanished as I stood there in awe, and I swear my knickers had been soaked through with my desire.

I unwittingly let out a small whimper, and his head immediately snapped up.

I rushed to take cover in the reeds once more, but the rustling caused by my rash action did not help my need for stealth, and his attention was drawn in my general direction even more.

"Who goes there?" He asked warily, and from the sound of something scraping against the ground, I assumed he was standing upright.

I held my breath, waiting for him to pass, but he slowly made his way towards me, his footsteps edging closer.

"I say, I demand to know who you are. Show yourself." He ordered, and I had to cover my mouth to suppress the moan threatening to escape my lips at his sexy authoritative voice.

I kept quiet, desperately willing him to go away. The last thing I needed today was to be exposed as the scandalously perverted woman that I am.

Needless to say, I was also petty enough to concern myself over his opinion of me if he saw the physical state I was in.

He inspected the surrounding area for a good while longer, stopping just in front of me with his back turned, rather giving me the perfect view of his rounded and firm arse.

 _Stop it, Rose_!I chastised myself. Though I still found my eyes betraying me as they began wandering to his tight rear.

A small grunt broke me from my fascination with his buttock, and he gave one last check of his surroundings before concluding there was nothing there.

I peered through the gap in the branches to his retreating figure, his head shaking as he laughed at his absurd paranoia.

Breathing a sigh of relief that my cover had not been blown, my body collapsed against the body of the bush, the aftermath from the surge of adrenaline I just experienced leaving me tired and drained.

However, the bush proved far more sturdy looking than it was in actual fact, and as a result, as I rested my entire body weight upon it, I flew through the air backwards, the branches unwilling to take my weight, and ended up crashing into the lake behind me, with a very audible, very indiscreet splash.

"Aaargghhh!" I screamed. For had my cover not already been blown, I added a loud, vocal exclamation for good measure.

My whole body was submerged under water, and paddling frantically, by some good fortune, my head managed to break the surface temporarily, and I gulped in the fresh air greedily.

"Roza?!" I heard Dimitri exclaim in surprise, and as I turned towards him, I saw his look of shock and confusion contort into one of pure fear, as I felt the water pulling me back under again.

* * *

 **Author's note**

 _I owe you all a huge apology. I was advised on the last round of reviews to take a break from fanfiction if my depression was getting in the way of me updating frequently. And whilst I don't believe that I am being "selfish" to my readers by withdrawing due to my depression, I did take that on board._

 _So that is why I am so late with this update. I have had some time to myself, and I feel in a much better place. I've had a break from Riches and Rags, written the one shot "The Gentleman and the Whore" to distract myself from it, and I've come back feeling refreshed. P.S please check it out!_

 _The next chapter is half written too, so that one should be up much sooner._

 _So, what do you think of a topless Dimitri?_

 _I, for one, LOVE IT._

 _I could not resist throwing in the 'Lake scene' from Pride and Prejudice, and removing his top altogether seemed far too tempting to refuse. A little bit of lightness in an otherwise angsty story._

 _More Romitri moments to come in the next chapter._

 _Also, I understand this story is slow. My writing style has been criticised for being too fast paced previously, so I'm trying to I ask is that if you have a comment like that to say, be constructive about it. I will take on actual constructive criticism, not flames._

 _We're nearing the end too, so I have no intention of "dragging" this story out more than necessary._

 _If you want to make a comment about something you're not happy with, log in, and I will contact you as soon as I can._

 _Unfortunately, PM on the app seems to be down for me, so I'm sorry I've not responded to reviews yet. As soon as I'm on a laptop, I will reply._

 _Thank you to everyone who has read, favourited, followed and reviewed._

 _I understand if I have lost some of you due to the lateness of this update, and I can only apologise. Sometime, life gets in the way :(_

 _All my love,_

 _Emma xx_

 _P.S Thank you to MartianEskimo and Rose2399 for you support._


	25. Chapter 25

I had never swam before, and it was embarrassing to say the least that I did not know how to do something Dimitri had done so effortlessly moments before.

Consequently, pure panic shot through me, making what should have been an easy break away, into an arduous and dangerous task for me.

My limbs kicked out aimlessly, and with each effort I made, I seemed to be dragged further and further. I became disorientated quickly, and for the life of me, quite literally, I could not figure out the direction towards the surface.

" _So this is it, eh? You managed to live through beatings, death of loved ones, betrayal, homelessness and heartbreak, but you let a bloody lake take you out_?" my useful inner voice piped up.

It was true, I twisted and turned, but to no use. My lungs became tight with the need for air, I became lightheaded, and the energy soon began to fade from my body.

A morbid part of my mind could not help but feel some sort of relief as my movement ceased. I slowly fell deeper, my hair fanning out around me, and the darkness tainting the corner of my vision overpowering me.

 _At least with death, the burden of a decision will no longer be mine._

That thought shocked me to my core, and in my hazy, exhausted mind, it saddened me deeply that that was the last thought I would ever have. It may as well say on my tombstone: _Rose Hathaway- Gave up without a fight._

My will had truly gone though, and my movements became slower and sluggish, and my head seemed to accept that this was it. This was over. All twenty and two years on this earth, and this was what my life had amounted to.

As the darkness took over my vision completely, my spluttering for air stopped, and I swore I felt myself slowly sinking into the open arms of death.

The last thing I could recall, as the water slowly began filling my airways, was the hazy sensation of something pulling me before everything went black.

...

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight… Come on Roza, fight for me! "Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen…. Roza! Don't you dare die on me. Don't you dare!"

A frantic voice shouted, and I felt something heavy pressing on my chest. I felt as though I was on the edge of consciousness, a tenuous hold on life, just ever so slightly out of reach.

The compressions on my chest continued, when I heard a frustrated sigh, and something in Russian, possibly an expletive.

But all of this just about eluded me, for though I had some vague sense of what was going on, it was only when I felt something warm and gentle on my lips, and I felt every nerve set on fire, that I entered the realm of consciousness once more.

I felt air being breathed into my body, and as he withdrew his lips from mine I gasped and spluttered, desperate for air. I breathed in heavily, and my eyes shot open, not quite focusing on anything.

Though the tingling still remained from the feeling of his lips on mine, the burning sensation from my lungs overpowered it, and I gasped frantically, each breath bringing an immense pain with it.

It was then that I felt his warm arms around me, and I looked up to see him cradling me, and brushing my hair in a soothing motion.

"Shhh Roza, Roza, I am here. It is okay, you are fine now, my milaya. You must take deep breaths." His voice calmed me down, and though the pain remained to an extent, with every stroke of his long fingers through my hair, I felt it subside ever so slightly.

"That's it, Roza, you are okay, I have got you."

His face was crumpled with concern, and he looked torn for a second, as if debating something, before looking down to meet my gaze.

Whatever he saw there, seemed to be enough to settle his mind, as he leant forward and placed a gentle and tender kiss on my forehead.

My breathing hitched for a completely different reason to the one prior, and I felt my body warm up as a delicate blush crept up onto my cheeks.

I tucked my head away to cover my flushed state, causing him to tilt my chin back towards him and brush the hair away from my face. The gesture was incredibly intimate, but I did not move away from it.

"You are far too modest for such a beautiful woman." He said softly, his face strangely vulnerable and open for me to read.

"And you are evidently far too blind to be in a position to comment on my appearance" I shot back in jest, my voice hoarse and throat sore from the hyperventilating, and he smiled as he shook his head in disagreement. It was one of those full on smiles that I seldom saw, where his eyes would sparkle with amusement, and crinkle at the edges.

"Roza. I have commented before on how your beauty is unlike any other I have seen." He whispered, and I swallowed at the lump beginning to develop at the back of my throat.

He leaned in slightly and ever so hesitantly, and I, in return lifted my head to meet his own.

Our lips were inches away from each others, and I noticed he closed his eyes, his thick eyelashes tickling the top of his cheekbones.

All that was needed was me to move slightly forward so our lips met, but as I closed my eyes, one name flashed out at me, causing me to halt and backaway.

" _Natasha_. .." I breathed, and he opened his eyes, startled to see I had pulled away, before the meaning behind the word reached him.

His eyes flashed in understanding, and he looked away in embarassment, standing up and backing away from me.

I immediately felt the chill from the lack of his touch, and I closed my eyes to try and stop the tears from falling.

What was I doing? He was with her. He chose her.

So why did his distancing himslef bother me so? And why did I wish to kiss him?

And more to the point, why, because I am quite positive I read the situation correctly, did _he_ want to kiss _me_?

I touched my lips as they craved the touch of his own. Opening my eyes, I saw him pacing ahead of me, running his hands through that long hair in frustration and kicking the pebbles that sat in his way.

I stood up, swaying slightly on my feet from exhaustion, and made my way towards him, slowly but surely.

I paused a few feet away from him and cleared my throat, wincing slightly.

He stopped in his pacing, and turned to look at me with a pained expression on his face. His forehead was created with worry, and his lips were set in a firm, straight line.

I was about to speak when he cut me off.

"I can only apologise, Roza. I thought… I thought with time those feelings would fade, but if anything, they seem to have grown stronger with your absence. I should not have done that. I am to be married the day after tomorrow."

My eyes widened in shock at this news. The date had been brought forward, I was sure of it. Was this a conscious decision on her part, knowing Dimitri was not wholly commited?

And moreover, why hadn't Ivan told me?

"S-so soon….?" I whispered, the hurt in my voice unhidden. I knew he was engaged, and I also knew he would eventually wed, but I did not realise I would have to deal with such a thing in the immediate future.

He sighed, and looked away from me, as if seeing me like this hurt him too much.

He nodded sharply, but added,

"But please, Roza. It would mean the world to me if we could perhaps be... friends. Although I already know it will pain me to see you and know I cannot have you, I know that cutting all ties with you altogether hurts all the more. I am begging you, Roza. I need you in my life."

I stared at him incredulously. "You would have me to believe that you wish me to parade around you and your wife? I will not be that woman that tears up a marriage. You cannot use me as you please, and dispose of me when you are done. I may be the daughter of a whore, but if does not mean to say I am one." I shot back at him, not concealing the anger in my voice

"No. It is why I pulled away from that kiss earlier. I will not be the woman that becomes a cheap mistress." I informed him, and he looked taken aback by my words.

"Why, I ask you nothing of that sort! I realise I am being selfish, but I would never expect that of you! I simply wish to be your friend. I need to see you, you brought so much love and joy to my life."

I scoffed at him.

"Do you not acknowledge how much it would pain me go see the two of you in love? See her touching and holding you? Being in the same house that the two of you conceive your children? The notion is ludicrous!" I declared, and not quite finished I added, "If I were to court and marry another fine man, how would that make you feel? Watching the two of us every day, kissing, holding hands, making children..?"

He did not reply, but by the whitening of his knuckles as he clenched his fists tightly, that idea did not settle all too well with him.

"You see?" I asked him, hoping I had finally got through to him.

He exhaled sharply and nodded begrudgingly.

"Very well. I understand. It was mightily selfish of me. I cannot keep you around and use you like that. Truth be told, I am not sure I could refrain from loving you when you are so close to me."

"What does this mean then?" I asked, quickly losing any trace of patience I held. He claimed he acknowledged the fact that I would not be his whore, but didn't seem to recognise the fact that he was getting married shortly.

He paused and took a deep breath, as if making up his mind.

"This today, talking with you, has made something clear to me. It has been on my mind for the past weeks as the wedding has drawn closer, but seeing you today has confirmed it.

I must think, Roza. This wedding is within two days, but I am not sure if I can go ahead with it. It is you I love, not her." He proclaimed, and my heart fluttered in my chest.

He loved me. That is what he just said, wasn't it?

And God knows I loved him too. How could I not? He was passionate, but gentle and sweet. He was handsome, but not overly conceited with his looks. He had a respect for women and his family, something Stan and most of the other men I had met had completely lacked.

I could see that he loved me. The worry etched on his face as I was drowning, the smile he would only ever share with me, the way we had this undeniable connection towards one another.

But was it enough? Was it enough to stop him from wedding another woman?

Lord knows it had never been enough before now. And I had given him many chances.

"You chose her, Dimitri. Why are you telling me all this now? It is too late" I said sadly.

He took a long stride forward and grabbed my hands. His long fingers enveloped my own, and it would be foolish to deny that I felt that familiar sensation one got when touching him.

He looked down at where our fingers entwinded, and absentmindedly rubbed the back of the soft skin over my knuckles. He swallowed and closed his eyes, voice think with emotion, the soft accent in his words becoming more pronounced.

"Seeing you fall under the water like that, watching it submerge you made me so scared. The most scared I have ever been in my life. I thought I had lost you for a brief moment in time. It hit home as I was attempting to revive you, just how much I had been lying to myself by pretending I could live comfortably in a world where you didn't exist, which is what would essentially happen to me if I was to marry her. I need you Roza.

"No, I refuse to believe it is too late… I have some time. Give me time to sort things out with her." He pleaded. Sighing, he finally met my eyes with his own, and I found myself melting on the intense chocolatey depths of his own.

"I know that my love for you means nothing if I marry her, so give me time to sort it out, I implore you allow me that."

Was he saying that he would truly leave her for me? Why, the change of heart was certainly startling. But then, I knew myself how much I had been missing him. And the thought of dooming myself to an eternity with Adrian, not the man I loved, definitely made me wish to be with Dimitri more. And I realised that is how he must have felt all this time.

This has never been a choice to him. From the start, ever since he was a child, he was led to believe that he must marry the likes of Natasha Ozera. The pressure he felt from the fear of letting his family down was similar to that what I felt in regards to letting Vika down.

Perhaps being faced with the looming condemnation of marrying a woman he doesn't care for was enough to make him appreciate what he could have with me?

And it was only after going through something similar myself that I fully understood the difficult position he was in.

Did he follow his heart of mind? What he wants, or what is needed to be done?

But alas, I did not know what I was to do either, and with a great deal of melancholy, I had to tell him:

"Very well. But you should know I can not promise you anything." I warned him.

Maybe this was a reflection on the way I had matured. Previously, I am sure I would have ran into his arms without a moment's hesitation. But since then things had changed, and he needed to know that I would not just come to him at his beck and call. A lot had changed since we last saw each other, and I had more responsibilities now.

And suddenly, remembering Adrian once more caused a shiver to run down my spine.

Dimitri stood there in silence, when he suddenly noticed my shivering frame. He gave me an apologetic look and immediately withdrew his hands from mine, much to my dismay.

He wordlessly picked up his shirt where it lay crumpled on the ground a foot away, and passed it to me.

I was about to protest for I did not wish to appear weak in front of him.

But when I saw that by my taking it, it would render him topless for even longer, I snatched the offending item from his grasp, and wrapped it around me once I had removed my sodden and freezing cold clothes, inhaling the wonderful masculine smell of Dimitri.

"Thank you." I smiled softly at him, once I was done, flustered by his gentlemanly behaviour and genuinely nice act.

He nodded sharply, still refusing to look at my direction and I sighed deeply.

The tension from our previous conversation had not lifted, and I shuffled about of my feet anxiously.

And awkward silence descended upon us.

"So… what now?" I questioned, unable to handle the quiet.

*I should probably return to my residence and try and find Natasha. I will sort this out Roza, I want us to be together." Once again my heart fluttered at hearing this, but it was as if my mind prevented me from getting my hopes up, and so I nodded softly.

"I suppose I should return back too." I said, causing Dimitri to look at me strangely as if something had just dawned on him.

"Wait...What on earth are you doing out here?" He asked, and for a second I assumed he meant at the lake specifically, into I realised he probably meant outside away from my duties. I sighed with relief. I did not quite fancy the notion of telling him that I was drooling over his magnificent form.

"I was forced out of the manor, so decided to take the opportunity to go for a walk." I stated.

"Why are you not back at Ivan's residence?" He questioned, arching his eyebrow in curiousity.

But before I could answer, his eyes suddenly went dark with what every thought was occupying his mind.

"Good Lord, pray tell, he has not cast you out, as he?! So help me, if he has done something so abhorrent I will find him an-"

I cut off his angry threats, "No, calm down! He had a meeting with Mr Mazur. Have you heard of the man? A most peculiar fellow, he is." I answered. Though I interrupted him, I was rather touched that that concern over my wellbeing affected him so.

He stiffened at the mention of his name.

"How do you know of the Zmey?" His eyes narrowed, and I was taken aback by the sudden sharpness to his tone.

"You mean Mr Mazur? Why, I met him yesterday", I claimed, not understanding this turn of mood, or why Dimitri refered to him by that strange name.

His eyes flashed with anger, and he turned away from me, cursing in Russian. I knew because I had asked Vika to teach me a few words, when Dimitri had point blank refused.

He turned back to me, lips set in that familiar firm line.

"You are not to see that man again. Are you clear?"

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes right back at him.

"Pardon? If I recall correctly you decided you would have no part of my life when you let me leave for Ivan." I retorted back, a small, rational part of my mind screamed at me to just leave this be. I ignored it as usual.

He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

"We have just been over this! No. I Do not wish to do this again. I cannot keep arguing with you. Can we call it a truce?" He asked.

"Yes, I suppose so. It would not do us any good to rehash this for the time being, would it? But you do not have the right to order me about anymore.

If it calms you to know this, then I can tell you I have barely had any run ins with the man. He had not visited the house to see me, but Ivan. Tell me, what is so terrible about him anyway?"

He grimaced and growled: "That man is a scoundrel. A good for nothing criminal. He cheats, lies and blackmails. His extortionate and brutal ways are infamous around these parts. He is a heinous creature."

I wasn't shocked by this news and said so,

"Well, I guessed as much, considering how pale Ivan became as soon as the Mazur name was mentioned."

His head shot up at this, and concern marked his handsome face. "What business did Ivan have with the man? No, no, no. This shall not do. Not one bit. Ivan is in the worst kind of trouble possible, being involved with the likes of him"

Now I knew that if the mere mention of the man could evoke such an emotive response from the most stoic man I knew, it was surely a sign that Ivan had got caught in the clutches of Mr Mazur, and that would only mean bad news.

"Well, how do you propose we help Ivan out?" I wondered, wanting to assist in any way that I could.

He smiled gently at me, the harshness to his eyes from our discussion of Mr Mazur softening as he looked upon me. "I tell you this man is dangerous, yet the first thing you wish to do is put yourself in harm's way to help out a friend. You are a remarkable woman, Roza. So sweet and strong." He said, almost with a hint of awe in his voice. I blushed heavily under his gaze. How could such a handsome man possibly look upon me in such a way? The physically and emotionally scarred daughter of a whore.

As usual, I covered up my embarrassment with jest. "I just got my arse handed to me by a lake, the word strong is not in my vocabulary." I joked, forcing a smile onto my face hoping that if I pretended I was okay, I would feel it too.

Dimitri chose not to take my words lightly, for though a trace of a smile graced his lips, he reached up to cup the smooth skin of my cheek with his hand, and spoke with pure seriousness, "You are the strongest person I know."I shook my head, refusing to let go of my protest, causing him to laugh softly.

"Perhaps the most stubborn too! Although, I do believe that Vika could compete with you in that regard."

I froze at the mention of her name, and unbeknownst to my reaction, Dimitri continued.

"You are a good role model for Vika, you know. She is a troublesome girl, always has been. She is sweet in her intentions, but wild at heart. You are a great deal like her, but she has yet a lot to learn. I hope that, should we be together, you can teach her how to become a respectable young woman, whilst keeping her sense of independence and personality. She has never related to my mother or sisters, so it would do her good to learn from you."

"I am far from the perfect role model, sir." I whispered quietly, the weight of the decision I had to make crashing down onto my shoulders once more.

"On the contrary, I believe you are perfect in every way. I adore everything about you. Your passion, your wild and unruly hair, the way you bite your lip when you are nervous, that alluring look you give me when your mischievous nature comes out. I adore the way you bravely stand up for yourself and anything that you believe in. I even adore the fact that you're the most infuriatingly impudent and outspoken woman I've ever met "

My eyes now shone with unshed tears. I fought hard to keep them at bay, but a rogue, disobedient droplet decided to spill over the contours of my face, being caught mid journey by Dimitri's soothing stroke of his thumb.

"Oh Roza, I promise that this will be sorted out. We shall be together."

He thought I was concerned as to whether or not he could choose me this time. If only it was that simple. No, whilst that was a worry of mine, a large one at that, it was not just my future I had to panic over.

He claimed I was all of those things. Maybe I was. But I knew what I was not; brave.

My dying words came back to me, and I felt feelings of bitterness and shame inundate me.

 _At least with death, the burden of a decision will no longer be mine._

I was no hero, no strong willed woman. I was a coward. I stopped fighting, I let it overpowering me.

But perhaps this was my chance to prove to him, and more importantly, to myself, that I was strong and brave. Hearing the way Dimitri affectionately talked about Vika made me realise that I could not let her marry Adrian. It would not only destroy her, but him too. How could I possibly do that to the man I claimed I loved? I could not tell him either, what Adrian's intentions were, as it would only result in the two of them eloping. Vika had proven to me how blindly she believed Adrian's manipulation, and Adrian warned me that if I was to tell anyone, he would not hesitate to marry her.

I am a great deal of many things, but selfish by nature I am not. I would not choose my own happiness above that of the people I love.

The sadness hit me as I realised that just when I thought I could have something good to come out of my life, Dimitri wanting and choosing me, it was taken from my grasp with so much ease that undubiously paralled that to stealing sweets from a child.

Dimitri snapped me out of my thoughts as he sighed wearily, and rested his chin on the top of my head, enveloping me in a comforting embrace that I allowed myself to indulge in, and wrapped my arms around him in response. God, he felt so good.

"I will make a decision." He promised, and I forced a smile on my face.

It was a shame that I had already made mine.

* * *

 **Author's note**

 **Thank you to everyone that has reviewed/ followed/ favourited this story!**

 **I apologise as I thought I would have this chapter up sooner, but I kept re-writing it, not willing to publish it until I was happy.**

 **Please be patient with this story. It has maybe 4 chapters left, so don't think this is the end. Anybody wishing to give up right now, all I ask is that you don't assume I'm not 100% Romitri! :)**

 **(Guest)-I have researched and double checked my facts. Whilst a father's permission is certainly desirable in upper social circles, it is not necessary. Lydia and Wickham elope in P &P too in a similar fashion. I have checked this with several websites and my Beta for The Gentleman and the Whore, who is extraordinarily knowledgeable on the subject. Vika is also of age, I put her perhaps a year younger than Rose, like the books (my bad-I never specified). Hope this cleared a few things up, please feel free to PM me with further queries :)**

 **Shoutout to all my reviewers! I have read them all many times, and promise to get back on it with responding to Users! My PM is shocking on the app. And thank you to the guests too, your comments truly mean a great deal and definitely motivate me haha.**

 **I had so many lovely messages supporting me and my decisions with the story. Thank you all! Increase in medication this week, but next chapter will be along shortly, fingers crossed!**

 **Love,**

 **Emma xxx**


	26. Chapter 26

The dying flower stood in its pot. Frail and wilting, the decaying beauty had began to shed its strikingly handsome petals that had prior succeeded in capturing the eye of those that entered the room. It was not due to old age, or any other natural occurring reason, that the flower was beginning to decay. It was that of neglect. I had not been here the good part of yesterday, and Ivan never thought of attending to its needs. So as a result, here it stood in its pot in its familiar spot on the window ledge, a former, rotting version of what it was once. Had it had the love it needed, perhaps it would have continued to flourish. Perhaps the flower would be standing tall and proud, a consequence to receiving the nurture and care that all living things require to blossom. It had been that way once, though a slow start had hindered its growth. But now, it merely endeavoured to retain that pride, very much so in vain. Its life was cursed to be one of ugliness and decay, and beyond the point of redemption.

And it was with a heart full of sorrow, and mind filled with despair that I knew that I was very much like the flower. My chance at life had began late, why, less than a year ago, as a matter of fact. My opportunity with the Belikovs and Ivan allowed me to grow into a sense of normality. My life had the chance to develop into something even more marvelous, with the proposal to live a long life with Dimitri, but that had now perished.

And so, here I sat, withering away as that love and care that had been gifted to me for such a short space of time was being stripped away; the very human embodiment of the flower wilting before it had a chance to bloom. I could try to embrace things as they came, and keep my head held high in the knowledge that I did the right thing, but alas, there was no point. My life no longer had meaning by choosing Adrian.

"What is the problem, my dear?" Ivan inquired from across the room as he nursed a glass of wine, interrupting my reverie abruptly. I had not noticed I had been slouched over in my chair with my head in my hands, and straightened upright in an attempt to throw off his concern for me.

I looked up at him and quirked an eyebrow by means of response. I did not wish to enter conversation with him and tried to shrug it off.

He was not letting it go though, and raised an eyebrow of his own. I sighed. He was as stubborn as I.

"I am fine, thank you." I responded politely, hoping that would end this discussion.

Ivan did not let this go though, as he said, endeavouring to provoke me into entering conversation with him.

"Something seems to be bothering you terribly."

I smiled sadly at him and shook my head, not wishing to get into this.

"I keep telling you, man! I am fine!"

Ivan sighed and put down his glass, getting up from his chair, and came to kneel down before me, resting his hands on either side of the armchairs. He had an earnest, concerned look on his face, and the guilt at lying to him began to gnaw at my insides.

"Rose. I would like to think, though you are my employee, that somewhere along the way, with our time spent together and our time spent confiding in our pasts, that we are reasonably good chums. You can trust me, whatever it is." It was true, I did consider him a friend by now, but he had rather hit the nail a little too sharply on the head.

I began shaking my head, protesting his accurate analysis of me, when he interrupted me.

"Hush! I shall not hear another 'I am fine!' It is becoming rather irksome, and I well aware that every second we waste in this cat and mouse chase, my wine is slowly turning into vinegar, so, pray tell, what is eating away at that little brain of yours?" He smirked humorlessly and tapped the side of my forehead. His good-hearted nature made me smile, before the guilt hit me once more.

I knew that with each time he asked me, my resolve was slipping further away, so I said the only thing I could think of to deter him from his inquiry.

I sighed dramatically. "I had wished not to tell you, but if you insist! Why, it is my monthly visit from Mother Nature that is bothering me." I said, rather hoping he would leave it at that.

He quirked an eyebrow back at me,

"Monthly visit, whatever are you on about child, talking in riddles! Do you wish to confuse me?!" He questioned and I shook my head, unable to keep the smile from creeping up on my face as I replied,

"I am bleeding, 'tis that time, mi'lord, of the month." He immediately paled and leapt back, as if I were riddled with some disease. I rolled my eyes. If ever there was a way to repel a man, that was it.

"Ah well…" he scratched the back of his head nervously, "I shall leave you to it, just ask me, or rather, perhaps a maid, if there is anything they can do to help."

I smirked at his embarrassed state, the inability of the male species to discuss such natural matters never failed to astound me.

Before I could respond, the light rapping on the solid oak doors sounded, and the smile immediately left my face.

That would undoubtedly be Adrian.

He had sent a telegraph to me the eve of the day prior informing me of the time and date of his arrival and his desire to know my answer by the time he arrived.

And so, he strode into the room, after being announced by the manservant, and beamed broadly when his eyes settled on me, rather like a cat that got the cream.

"Ahhh, Ivashkov, dear fellow! How can I help you this fine morning?" Ivan boomed, more than happy to be taken away from the awkwardness of our conversation, and utterly oblivious to the daggers I was shooting in Adrian's way.

He leapt forward with his hand extended, which Adrian graciously accepted and shook with equal enthusiasm. His excitement sickened me.

Adrian smiled broadly, "I'm afraid, dear chap, that my reasons for coming here involve the lovely Lady present." He gestured towards me, and Ivan failed to cover up his confusion and surprise, glancing between the two of us, as if hoping he would be able to deduce something from our expression.

"Oh… very well then, you may use this room if you wish?" He turned to me, and I know that he was silently checking that I was alright to be left alone with our strange visitor.

I nodded solemnly, and he left the room after hovering for a short while longer to see if I was okay.

Ordinarily, it was polite to stand and bow or curtsey with the arrival of a guest, but I stayed very much planted in the comfort of my seat. He did not deserve such actions of respect.

Adrian did not seem to bother though, for as soon as Ivan left he turned towards me, striding across the room and took my hand in his.

"Well, milady. Have you reached the decision I sought after?" He asked, voice oozing with false politeness and charm. I froze and watched with horror as he gently kissed the back of my hand.

As the flesh on my hand made contact with his cold, dry lips, I grimaced and attempted to pull it away, only for Adrian to yank me towards him and whisper menacingly in my ear.

"I shan't let you go until you give me my answer, little damsel. I believe I have been more than patient for quite some time, and I am no longer playing your little game."

I bit my lip, endeavouring to remember why I had made the decision. This was for the Belikovs. This was not about me.

However, when he began being more than a little rough than me, I could not refrain from retaliating.

His other hand stroked the side of my face, before trailing down into the dangerous territory of my bosom, and I did the only thing I could think of to repel him and spat at him in the face. "I am not yours yet. It would be good for you to remember that." I snarled.

His face flashed with fury, before a look of contemplation took over. After several seconds he grinned manically.

"...yet?" He asked, and my eyes widened and I swallowed harshly in response. I had not realised I had let that slip so unwittingly.

Judging from the state of me, my reaction confirmed my answer, and he yelped in triumph.

"I knew it! I knew my wits would make you mine eventually!"

I shook my head at him. If he believed that I would fling myself at his feet now, he had a shock coming to him.

"I may be yours legally in a short while, but know this: I will not be subservient to you. I will make you wish you had never met me. If you believe I am going to run around after you and play housewife, you are wrong. Very much so. You did not choose the right woman to fool with, Mr Ivashkov." I warned him, attempting to keep the anger and upset out of my voice as I witnessed his conceited celebrations.

He was not fazed in the slightest though, and merely looked down at me with amusement.

"My, my, my. How I love a challenge! You see, that is where you are wrong. I picked you for this very reason! The prospect of being the man to tame your wild nature is a thrilling one. And you shall bend to my will. No woman has resisted me, and I assure you, you shall be no different in the end."

I snorted derisively at him, and began chuckling myself. If he believed that, then he was even more deluded than I had originally thought.

This apparently irked him, as no trace of a smile lingered on his face now, and he stared at me with hard eyes.

"And remember why you are doing this, dear little damsel." He stroked the side of my face and I recoiled, only for him to grip my chin and turn my face back towards him, forcing me to look into those malevolent emerald eyes.

"Vika is an irksome child, but she is a beauty, nonetheless. I shall not hesitate to call upon her… services, regardless of our marital status.

Do not use me, as I will only use her."

I refused to let the man think he had intimidated me, and stood up to square up to him, cocking my head to the side mockingly. "But if she is anything like I, then she, too, will not even be able to conceive such a notion. Why, I can feel the vomit climbing my throat whilst we speak as I conjure up the image of us together." My previous remark had upset him, but this apparently ignited the full extent of his fury.

He didn't hesitate to backhand me, and I flew sideways, smacking my side into the table.

He strode over and towered above me, threatening me in a menacing voice. "I should also tell you now that if you refuse to fulfill your wifely duties, and be a good little girl for her dear husband, then you will face my wrath. You may be so bold now as to retaliate to me, but believe me, this is nothing. If my whoring about does not bother you, then perhaps this is the only way to control you. I see those scars littering your skin. You do not conceal them as well as you wish."

I remained quiet, and for the first time since I had met him, my bravado failed, and I felt genuine fear. I had lived an existence of beatings and pain, and it had been a time in my life I wished to forget and move on from. I had been strong enough to survive last time, but I was not so sure I could manage if I were to suffer at the hand of a man again.

He seemed to recognise this fear in me, as his demeanor suddenly changed, and that enthusiasm returned to him once more.

"There's a good girl! You are finally understanding! Trust me, if you give in, which you shall eventually, we shall have bountiful fun and games! Come, child. We shall not waste any more time here."

It took me a moment to catch up with his sudden change of mood, and seconds later, I only just comprehended the meaning to his words.

"What about Ivan?!" I exclaimed, to which he shook his head in negation.

"We must leave immediately. The less people know of our absence, the better. We are to elope to Gretna Green imminently."

My eyes widened at the realisation that this was it. My choice had been made and there was no going back now, not even to say farewell to those I loved, or to thank them properly. I had been staring dumbly at him, and he snapped. "Now, woman! We have not got all day!"

He grabbed me roughly, and I was only just able to pick up my basket containing Dimitri's shirt on the side table next to my chair, the one I intended to return to him after he let me wear it home, before he hoisted me upright and we scurried out of Ivan's house, practically running down the long driveway where the carriage stood stationary at the end.

He pulled my hand along to hurry me, and ushered me into the carriage with such haste that I lost my shoe in the patch of mud below as it got caught when I stepped up.

"My shoe!" I exclaimed, attempting to climb off and reach for it.

"No time, Ivan is bound to look for you at any moment, we must move!" As if his words struck a sense of paranoia within him, he paused and quickly observed his surroundings. When no such sign of Ivan arrived, he pushed me upwards, his hands on either buttock, and my nostrils flared in anger as I barely managed to restrain myself from slapping him away.

He climbed in after me, and slammed the door shut, hitting the roof with his fist and yelling for the coachman to hurry.

The carriage started and charted on at a neck-breaking pace, and the trees and signs and people strolling by became one long blur of colours out of the window as the coachman continued whipping the horses mercilessly.

Once we were out of the mile radius of the house, Adrian visibly relaxed and slouched back into the seat, seemingly pleased with the way things had gone.

After a few moments, it became apparent to me that he had fallen asleep, and I snorted and rolled my eyes. How pleasant it must be to find peace at a time like this.

Silence followed, and I found myself shaking with nerves and fidgeting with the fabric of my dress, my own thoughts and worries inundating me relentlessly. Contrary to the tranquility Adrian was experiencing, as made evident by his loud and deep snores, I could not stop frantically stressing about what was to happen to me.

I attempted to collect myself and took a few calming breaths. _You can do this, Hathaway. Remember, this is for the greater good. Think of the lives you are improving with this decision. Vika, Dimitri, sweet Olena...They will all be spared unnecessary heartbreak. Their lives are fragile, exposed only to the greater things in life. But you are strong, and this shall not break you._

I began chanting this last sentence like a mantra, finding that it had began to settle me slightly. _You are strong and this shall not break you. You are strong and this shall not break you. You are strong and this shall not br-_ "Oh shit!" I exclaimed, startling Adrian out of his sleep with a loud snort, and causing him to sit upright in his chair and stare at me incredulously. The sight would have been comedic, in any other circumstance.

Any trace of calm vanished as my mind flashed with a most urgent thought that I had forgotten about in the rush and excitement.

I had almost forgotten the basket containing the shirt I was to return, and screamed at the coachman, "HALT!"

The carriage lurched at the sudden stop, and Adrian, after being thrown around by the movement, steadied himself on the plush red of the seat and stared at me with anger.

"What in heaven's name?!" He roared, clenching his fists, "You had better have a damn good reason for stopping us on our way!"

"Before we depart, I must beg one last favour, and after that, I shall be quiet and compliant for you the rest of the way." I asked, chancing a look his way. He raised his eyebrows impatiently for me to continue, and I licked my lips nervously before answering, "I have something to return to the Belikov residence, it is merely a shirt that has been borrowed." He looked at me confusedly, and without request, he snatched the basket from my hand and glanced inside. Once satisfied that there was, indeed, only a shirt inside, he closed the lid and threw it back at me.

"No more interruptions?" He asked with his eyes narrowed, as if unsure as to whether or not he should believe me.

"You have my word." I swore, and after studying me for a short while, he rolled his eyes and nodded, "Be quick about it. We have not much time to waste before people question your disappearance."

He gave directions to the coachman and the carriage started again, this time towards the Belikov Residence.

I stared at him, bewildered at his willingness to grant me this last wish.

"Do not look at me with such soft eyes, this is now something of which you are indebted to me, and I can think of plenty of ways to utilise it." He smirked smugly, before turning away from me completely.

I sighed heavily and cursed myself for thinking there was some remnants of good in the man.

The journey was not a long one, and within minutes, the coachman (for I was not trusted to leave the carriage) was dropping off the shirt at the doorstep of the Belikov Manor.

As the coachman climbed back aboard, and he whipped the horses once more to continue our journey Northbound, I closed my eyes and allowed myself the comfort of shedding a few tears as I thought about what was concealed in the shirt.

Any moment now, Dimitri would receive the basket and shirt, and the letter addressed to him hidden within its folds.

 _"Dimitri,_

 _It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter, and the quill in my hand feels like the weight of a King's guard as I struggle to put it to paper._

 _Please know that the information I am about to disclose to you does not distort any of my feelings towards you. I have always loved you, and always shall, and I will forever wish that we could finally be united and declare our love for one another. However, in my twenty and two years on earth, I have come to know that life does not always offer you what you want._

 _And what I am about to tell you is by no means a reflection on what I desire, but rather what I feel is the right thing to do._

 _You will know by now that Mr Ivashkov has previously pursued me in the past. What has been concealed to all, however, is the fact that he still chased me. For reasons I cannot tell you, I am afraid that I have been forced to accept his hand in marriage. And so, this may very well be the last that we ever have contact again, for I have intentions to move away from you and your family, lest the pain of seeing you causes me to reconsider my actions._

 _I pray that this letter has arrived to you on time, and that it is not too late for you to proceed with your marriage plans with Lady Ozera. Moreover, I hope that you shall indeed learn to love another, and cherish the hand you have been dealt. I believe that you could at least grow fond of her, and I wish you a long and happy life._

 _My undying love shall always burn for you, and not a day will go by where I will not think of you and the love that you allowed me to experience for the first time in my life. I am sorry for the heartache this will put you through, but I hope you trust me enough to know that I would not do something like this without good reason._

 _Yours,_

 _Roza._

 _P.S. Please apologise to Vika, and thank Ivan for his hospitality and friendship._

* * *

 **Author's note**

 **Thank you all so much for reviewing! Please keep them coming, and I promise I shall respond straight after I post this!**

 **Thank you to Kitkat for your review! I do like reading them, you're right, and you weren't rude with anything at all, which I appreciate. I have clarified in previous chapters about Sonya. The pregnancy was hushed up (child was sent away immediately after birth, and only a few of the Belikovs knew about it. And Vika had not told anyone about her engagement. We shall find out more the next chapter. Hope this cleared things up. I enjoy discussing it too, thank you for commenting :)**

 **To the other guest reviewer... wow. Thank you so much. I was taken aback when I read your review, and it was definitely the motivation I needed to write. Honestly, it was so heart warming reading that, and I truly wish you have a marvelous day too.**

 **Next chapter is Dimitri's point of view when he receives the letter. Any guesses as to how he'll react?**

 **And I've had a few thoughts on my next story after this. Tell me which one, if any, you would prefer to see.**

 **1)Continuing Hitchhiking. (Next chapter has been written, but I have no idea where to lead it! Suggestions welcome)**

 **2) Cop story. Rose goes undercover in a women's prison where murders have been taking place. Dimitri is one of the Guards. Chapter written.**

 **3) Superhero story. This sounds ridiculous, I know! But I haven't seen one, and thought it would be kinda fun to write. Chapter written**

 **4) Office Story. Dimitri is the boss, Rose is just another worker. He doesn't notice her until she gets a makeover.**

 **As always, thank you for reading. Please review as I love hearing your thoughts. We're close to the finale now!**

 **Love,**  
 **Emma xxx**


	27. Chapter 27

"Dimka. You must eat, my dear. You are wasting away before my very eyes." My mother pushed the full plate of food towards me, her forehead creased with concern as she watched me nudge it away, rather petulantly.

Truth be told, my mother was a wonderful cook, and ordinarily I could not refuse her food, which she seldom made herself unless it was to cheer one of us up. Noticing my foul mood as of late, mother had insisted she made me her infamous black bread, which I had been known to enjoy with lashings of butter. An ailment to any ill feelings.

But my appetite was not to be soon recovered until my mind was settled.

Whilst I had no regrets about my desire to court Rose in place of Tasha, it did not mean that my stomach was in any less turmoil with nerves. It was not to be a pleasant conversation, with either my family of hers.

"I told you mother, I have no appetite." I replied, standing abruptly from my seat at the dinner table and moving towards the wide window that opened up to the gardens outside, my hands behind my back.

It was only mid afternoon, but already the sky was beginning to darken as the onsets of the miserable winter months began to show. Consequently, everything in the garden looked rather sullen and gloomy, and I could not help but imagine how much it would have been brightened by the presence of Rose.

The thought of her brought a slight smile to my face, a smile that turned into an amused chuckle as I recalled a time I had stumbled upon the most delightful scene.

* _ **Flashback**_ *

I sighed heavily and straightened the sheets of my morning paper in an attempt to refocus my attention in it, but for the life of me, I could not distract myself from the rather heinous screeching from some creature outside.

Now Lady Beecham, the elderly neighbour of ours that lived a good mile away, did little to keep a watchful eye over her many cats, and as of such, on more than one occasion, they had come to roam our gardens, leaving not only a soiled mess in every corner of the area, but also left our eardrums bleeding from their incessant whining and wails.

I happened to chance a glance towards the window, expecting the usual four cats engaged in their brawl, double taking as I saw it was, indeed, Rose causing the unbearable racket.

My eyes widened as I took in the sight before me, and without engaging my brain, my feet were moving me towards the window.

And so there I stood, my feet rooted to the ground, mouth hanging agape as I stared, transfixed at the sheer beauty of her.

She was singing and dancing in the garden as she did her daily watering of the flowers and plants. Her long, dark hair swirled around her like a luxurious silky curtain, her cheeks were flushed with the exercise, and her eyes were bright and sparkling as she moved.

Now, she was not a particularly graceful dancer. On the contrary, her movements showed no skill or rhythm, and she made her way around down the path to the flowers planted further along, rather clumsily and oafishly.

As noted earlier, she was not a very good singer either, and her out of tune caterwauls were painful to the human ear.

So it was not her talent, or lack of that had held my attention so religiously.

No. It was the fact that she moved and sang regardless; it was her free spirit, her carefree nature that captivated me so.

I had never witnessed anything like it. In all my life, all I had ever known was to behave a certain way. Consequently, everyone I knew in my circles were rigid in their behaviour, and reluctant to portray any character other than that of an upper glass lady or gentleman.

The maids and staff were all professional and well respecting of the rules and policies their employers held.

But Rose lacked such inhibitions. She did not care that people would probably judge her of look at her with scorn for the way she was acting now.

I was mesmerised by her, and some part of me acknowledged she had enchanted me since the moment I laid eyes on her.

And I had never seen her this happy either. I loved the way her full lips were stretched wide as she laughed and giggled as she tripped over her own feet and fell into one of the bushes.

I loved the way her hair became one confused and tangled mess, splayed out around her as she attempted to free it from the twigs and branches.

The leaves and various twigs had got stuck in it, and if stood out in all sorts of angles, but she still somehow looked beautiful.

Once she made it back into her feet, she didn't hesitate in humming once more, and skipping along the path until out of sight.

I stared after her for a while, rather hoping she would come back to entertain me some more, but alas, she appeared to have moved on, and shaking my head with a smile I returned to the comfort of my chair and picked up my paper once more.

But suddenly, the news no longer held much interest, and my eyes would not focus on the small print in front of me, for my eyes were still preoccupied by Rose.

Ergo, I folded the newspaper twice, placed it on my lap and closed my eyes as I laid back against the chair. Reclined and comfortable, and sure I had a few moments of privacy, I allowed my mind to replay what I had just seen, and found myself unable to keep the smile from my face.

 _ ***End of Flashback**_ *

I blinked a few times to bring myself out of the memory, and found my mother to be standing next to me. Her small frame looked all the more frail as her elderly age was becoming apparent. Her dark hair, though still thick, had began to streak with grey, her skin had become wrinkled and marred with prominent varicose veins, and her eyes looked exhausted and dull as if she had not been sleeping.

"I am worried about you, my dear. You have not been yourself. You have withdrawn further into your shell, you have lost weight and your mind seems constantly elsewhere, as if something g is bothering you deeply."

I swallowed harshly, my guilt rising up my throat like bile. So it was I that was the reason for her recent aging. My mother had always fretted about the well-being of others. Even whilst sustaining injury after injury from father, her concerns lay with us, and shielding us from such beatings lest it harm our innocent eyes.

And so it pained me that I had caused any more upset and hurt.

In an affectionate gesture that I had not done since…. Well, I could not remember, I draped my arm over her shoulders and pulled her to me, resting my head on top of here's after placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Her body went rigid, possibly from the shock of such an action by me, before relaxing and embracing me with all the strength her tiny body could muster.

After a few moments of silence, she sighed heavily.

"It is ever since she left, isn't it?" She suddenly muttered, and I stared at her in shock, my mouth hung open.

With Babushka's uncanny ability to read people, it was easy to overlook the fact that my mother, though not on the same level, was still incredibly observant.

Was it possible that my mother knew where my heart lay all of this time?

I opened my mouth to speak, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to finally tell her that I planned to pursue her over Natasha, when there was a knock at the door.

I grimaced and gritted my teeth at the impertinent interrupted, and shouted

"Enter!"

The door opened to reveal Castile holding a basket of some sort.

"Pardon me, Mi'lord, but there is something here that I believe belongs to you." He said, and I rose my eyebrows in curiosity.

Giving my mother a final kiss on the cheek, I stepped forward and took the basket from his grasp.

Setting it on the table my breath hitched when I saw the contents and my heart swelled when I realised it was my shirt that Roza had borrowed.

My mind was immediately cast back to seeing her by the lake, her scantily clad body exposed to me as her sodden wet clothes clung to her every curve.

I bit my lip to hide back my smile, and could not help the wave of anticipation and excitement that overcame me as I thought it would not be long before we could be together.

I took the shirt out of its confines, and let out a startled exclamation of surprise when I saw something white flutter to the floor as I undid its folds.

I picked it up from the carpeted floor and stood upright, only to have the wind knocked out of me as I read its contents, I staggered slightly, and leant on the table for support.

I met my mother's questioning gaze and wordlessly passed her the letter whilst I mulled over what it said, but my mind was far to addled for it to think straight.

To say I was dumbfounded with shock would not do it justice.

Once my mother had read it, with tears in her eyes, I took the paper off her and read it again, before the shock faded and my blood began to boil.

"That bastard! That thieving, conniving, perfidious bastard!" I exclaimed, shaking from rage. I began pacing, the words violently spitting from my mouth.

"God help him when I get my hands in him. Why, I shall tear him limb from limb! I will break every bone in his body, I will make him bleed until there is not a drop of blood left for him to bleed!" I roared furiously.

"Dimka…" a voice called to me from behind.

"What?!" I whirled around, my fury blinding me temporarily, before the red tinted haze began to clear, and I realised it was my mother, face filled with love and worry, who had approached me.

My mother placed a calming hand on my arm and glanced down towards my hands, where I had unknowingly scrunched the paper in my fist with anger

I took a shaky breath to try and steady my frail nerves, and met her eyes, startled to find my own had began to water with the pain I felt for Roza.

He had her. The bastard. All of this time, he still wanted her. And why? Because she was strikingly beautiful, and no doubt her fiery personality appealed to him too.

And that's when it clicked.

No doubt, Adrian had his heart set on her as his next conquest to bed, but the moment she was denied to him, through our family, namely I, fending him off, she became that bit more desirable.

She was the one novelty he couldn't have. And if you can't have something, it only serves to make you desire it more.

How ironic, I chuckled to myself humorlessly. My attempts to save Roza from him only served to make her more susceptible to his scheming.

For a brief second, I wondered if I shared a similarity to Ivashkov. Whether all this time, my feelings towards Roza had been purely based on the fact that I could not have her.

But as soon as the idea came, I dismissed it in a flash. My feelings for Roza ran deeper than anything I had felt before. I may have made some questionable decisions in my life, but I would never lower myself to his standards.

No. I adored Roza with all the love in the world, and words would not do the anger and fear I felt for her justice.

I had to save her. Before they wed. But God knows where this was to happen, and if I could even reach them in time by now.

I felt a wave of hopelessness wash over me, the realisation that I had no clue where to go dawned on me, and a look of defeat adorned my features, until my mother surprised me by uttering something I never thought she would.

She gave me her blessing.

"Try Ivan. He may have some information. Go after her, Dimka. Save her and yourself." she reached up and stroked my cheek tenderly, and I leant into the motherly touch once I had recovered from the shock.

My mother was right, I had to give this a go, lest I regret it for the rest of my life. I nodded slightly at her and gave her an appreciative smile, one that I could only hope conveyed the true nature of my gratefulness for her unconditional love and well wishes for me, before kissing the inside of her palm and whispering, "Thank you Mama."

I dashed out of the door, not pausing to collect anything that I may need as my mind was settled on one thing; stop Roza from marrying another man.

As I made my way down the hallway to the main front door, however, my path was intersected by Viktoria.

She stood in front of me with her arms crossed. I sighed and attempted to side step my way around her, but she moved to match my footing. This went on for sometime, before my frustration rose.

"For Heaven's sakes, Vika! I have not time for such childish pranks by you. I am in hurry, and mush dash immediately. Move, child!"

"Where are you going?" Vika demanded, unwilling to let me brush past her.

"Vika…" I wanted through gritted teeth.

But she could be a petulant, stubborn little thing when she wanted, a result of being the youngest child, I should imagine.

"No, I refuse to move until you tell me what has upset you so, and why you are off in a hurry."

I felt my nostrils flare, and I shook my head, my temper about to snap.

"This does not concern you! I have received some unsettling news, and must deal with it imminently."

"It has to do with him, you know, don't you?!" Her eyes widened in confusion and shock.

I raised an eyebrow at her and looked at her properly. Only then did I see that she was truly upset. Her face was blotchy and red from crying, her hair was tangled in an unruly mess, and the under circles of her eyes were prominently purple, an indication she had spent the night tossing and turning.

Before I could answer her, she suddenly began wailing.

"For God's sakes! You know what he did to me! How?! I did not wish for you to know for this exact reason! I can handle it myself, Dimka!"

"What on earth are you talking about, dear child? Wait… what whom did to you?" I asked, and my eyes narrowed in her direction. So her apparent sleep deprivation and cause of her tears was, indeed, a gentleman.

I felt my fists ball up, and I took a step towards her. Her eyes widened when she realised we were not, indeed, on the same page as she thought.

"Who, Vika? Tell me his name."

My voice went down a notch lower, and I felt the familiar red haze cloud my vision.

"Dimka… it is nothing. Just a man I was engaged to. But it is for me to deal with. Go, go and find what it is you seek so desperately." She stepped to the side to let me past, and I shook my head, my brain not quite catching up to this information.

"... You… you are- were engaged?! What?! When?! Who?!" I questioned, and she averted her gaze and nodded towards the door.

"Should you not be leaving? I thought this was a pressing matter? Or are you exaggerating? And you say I am the over dramatic one."

She muttered whilst rolling her eyes, and had I not known her for so long, I would not have known what she was doing. She was trying to rile me up in the hopes that I left her alone, but I would not fall for it.

"Vika. I am not leaving until I get a name. I can wait all night. In fact, I can bring Mama in-"

"No! Please, no. It will break her heart." She pleaded, and attempted to soften me with a doleful look, which I returned with a stern one, letting her know I would follow my word.

She sighed in resignation and closed her eyes before whispering,

"Adrian."

My blood ran cold.

Any hatred I had felt for the man suddenly dulled in comparison to what I felt now. He had wronged two of the women I held most dear to me, the ones I felt so protective over. Not only had he inflicted so much pain on Roza and Vika, but he was mocking me in the process. He was ridiculing my inability to protect them as I wished.

"Adrian?! Why what on earth could he and you possi- God almighty!" I smacked my head and scolded myself for being so stupid. This was all beginning to make sense now.

This is what Roza had meant in the letter. She had sacrificed herself. Adrian had made her choose, her or Vika. And Rose, being the truly wonderful and selfless woman she was, gave herself up to spare my sister.

My heart felt an overwhelming amount of love as I thought about what she had done. She truly was the most beautiful creature, inside and out.

"Wait… so if you did not know it was him, who was it you were seeking?" She asked me timidly.

"I am trying to find that very same person you speak of. For a different reason, although this certainly adds to my list of reasons to pay him a visit." I explained, still struggling to process so much new information at once.

"You're going to look for Adrian?!" She exclaimed, "But for what ever reason?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. And my reasons are my own. They do not concern you. And neither does this whole situation any further. You are to stay here with mother."

"For goodness sakes! I am not a little, helpless girl. He wronged me, of course I wish to find him!"

"No." I stated simply, and began walking out of the door, until she I noticed she began to follow. I stopped and shot her a look that told her I wasn't impressed.

"You are coming with me?" I asked,

"Well, considering you're heading in that direction, I thought I would nip into town and do a little light shopping!

What the hell do you think I am doing?! Of course I am coming with you." She said, sarcasm drilling off her tongue.

I began to protest, "Vik-"

"No! I am not that little helpless girl everyone assumes I am. He wronged me, and I want to be there when you find him and make him suffer! I have every right to be there with you. Please, Dimka. He humiliated me, and I need to seek vengeance for my peace of mind."

I was about to protest again, but glancing over her face, her features proud and fierce, she reminded me so much of Roza, and what she would do in that situation, that I could no longer refuse her.

I threw my hands up in resignation, and cut off her delighted squeal that she emitted as she threw her arms around me and thanks.

I pried her off me and said, hoping my expression matched the sincerity that lay in my heart.

"You are coming along purely as a spectator. Once we find him, you must leave this up to us."

She nodded, before giving me a curious look.

"Who is this 'us'? Is this where we are going?"

I nodded sharply, and began striding out into the open air.

I ignored her question, and informed her, "During our ride now, you must tell me everything that has passed between the two of you, especially how and when he ended your… engagement." The words felt like acid on my tongue, and I could not help the look of distain that accompanied my speech.

I soon became lost in a trail of thought. I had not given Ivashkov nearly enough credit. He was far more malevolent and calculated than I could have ever dreamt. And the idea that Roza would be trapped with a man like that…. God. It made my sick to my stomach.

I was vaguely aware of her continued stream of questions, but persisted to ignore her as I strode along the long driveway.

I whistled for my carriage, and within a beat of my heart, Benson had pulled up on the curb, adorning his usual lopsided grin and tousled hair.

"Where to t'day, Mi'lord?" He took his hat off and bowed his head towards me and after giving Vika an appreciative once over, raised his eyebrows and said, "Ma'am. Might'n I say what a fine young lady you are. Why, Mr Belikov 'ere never said he had such a handsome young sister, he didn't."

I did not bother to correct him on my title, or scold him for his flirtatious manner with Viktoria, as I ordinarily would have done, had I not been in such a rush.

With a dismissive wave of my hand, after I assisted Vika into the carriage, I climbed in and shouted,

"Not now, Benson. We must depart to Lord Zecklos' residence. At once."

* * *

 **I am so sorry for the delay. My boyfriend and I of two and a half years have broken up, and it has triggered the depression and eating disorders. Please forgive me. Will you let me know how many of you are still interested? As I know I have left it so long.**

 **I will reply to reviews shortly, and I hope to have the next chapter up tomorrow night, to try and make it up to you all.**

 **Shout out to VAToobsessed and Katnispc (I am sorry, I have forgotten how to spell it haha)**

 **Thank you all so much for being so supportive. Thank you to all those who reviewed. I was taken away by the amount,well and truly .**

 **Let me know your thoughts on the chapter,**

 **Love,**

 **Emma xxx**


	28. Chapter 28

It was a wonder if I had not sustained some sort of fatal brain injury after the chaotic driving of dear Benson. The amount of times I smacked my head of the beams in the carriage would have been enough to render a man unconscious. And it quite possibly would have done, had the adrenaline coursing through my veins not kept me upright.

Vika had disclosed everything that had passed between the two of them. She was adamant there was no chance that she could be bearing his child, though she was an accredited liar. And even if I chose to believe her, there was more than enough fuel to drive me in my pursuit of Ivashkov regardless. The way he had toyed with her so carelessly. The way he broke off the engagement without a word of a reason why. Just a letter stating he was leaving, delivered by a stranger. It would have been easy for me to scold her, as she had clearly been foolish and naïve, and unfair to all of us by keeping such a thing a secret, but she was young, and he was an experienced charmer.

We arrived at the Zecklos manner in record time, and with a quick order for Benson to remain where he was and wait for our return, we scrambled out of the carriage and down the lawn.

I did not bother to knock and marched straight in, Vika at my heel, looking for Ivan.

I did not need to think twice about where he would be, as Ivan tended to flitter between the drawing room, where he kept his collection of liquors, or the Whorehouse, which he usually attended in the evenings.

As of such, it was natural to assume he would be currently lounging in his favourite armchair, glass of wine in one hand, and a decanter in the other.

What I was not expecting, was to see him pinned by by his arms to the chair by two burly men, and a very smug looking middle aged man towering over him, and to catch the middle of what appeared to be a very violent threat.

"-chance Ivan. Too many chances. I have given you plenty of time, and far more patience than I would most."

The moment the man spoke, I recognised him immediately.

An on further inspection, it was a wonder I had not identified him the second I laid my eyes upon him.

He was dressed incredibly ostentatiously. With the usual bright coloured cravat, a daring shade of lilac today, and matching handkerchief, polished shoes and tailored suit and waistcoat, there was no denying who the fellow was.

Zmey.

My eyes narrowed as I recalled what Rose had said to me at an earlier date, that he was hanging around these parts and had an interest with Ivan. I shook my head and let out an exasperated sigh. Such a fool. Zmey was the most notoriously dangerous man across these parts and only very idiotic or desperate man danced with him.

That brought about the concern of why Ivan was dealing with him, and my concern heightened when Mazur snapped his fingers, causing his two henchmen to twist back Ivan's fingers with the most excruciating snapping sound that had ever reached my ears.

"Aarggghhh! Please no, I beg you! Have mercy!" Ivan cried, in vain as the men continued breaking his fingers one by one.

Finally snapping out of my shock at the sight in front of me, I ran into the room and banged loudly on the door, immediately capturing everyone's attention.

"Stop this madness. At once! I implore you!" I boomed, and all four men stopped what they were doing, and turned to face me. The only sound to be heard was the whimpering of poor Ivan, and the scurrying of feet as Vika ran to him to him with a glass of whiskey to calm his nerves.

Mazur tore his eyes off Ivan and directed his gaze towards me. The way he looked at me, as if he knew all of my dirtiest discretions, unnerved me greatly. He continued in his assessment of me, evidently to try and shake me further, before breaking out into a grin that one could only liken to a that a predator adorns as it greets its prey.

"Ah! Belikov! What a pleasant surprise! It has been far too long! Tell me, how is that wonderful woman you call your mother doing these days?" His grin turned into a smirk as he saw me stiffen at the mention of my mother. I did not know what his relationship with her was, but I know he must have met her when he conducted business with my father. I did not like the fact that he seemed so familiar with her, and changed the subject swiftly.

"Cut the pleasantries, Mazur. We have not time for such meaningless talk. I require the company of Lord Zecklos here, so if you would be so good as to lend me him for a few minutes, please."

I said very plainly, not shrinking under the dangerous stare of Mazur.

He shook his head and began helping himself to a drink, returning with two glasses, and offering one to me, which I declined.

"Hmmmm. I am afraid we may have a little issue there, my good friend. As I, too, require Ivan's company." He turned to look at the man himself and smiled in humour, "You're quite the popular fellow today!"

Ivan short him a look of scorn and muttered, "Well, aren't I the lucky one?"

Before wincing as Vika checked his injuries.

Mazur shot him a look which quickly silenced him, before turning back to me.

"Well, this is of the utmost importance. I require his assistance with something and I have not the time to stand here and talk as if we are good chums." I told him, not backing down.

"Then this is quite the predicament we are in. Because the matter you see I am dealing with at hand right now is rather important to me, too. You may talk to him briefly, if you wish, but my two men and I will not be leaving anytime soon" he stated, and the tone of his voice suggested he was not leaving much room for negotiation.

"But you see, I must-"

"No. Those are my terms. You either accept the offer or leave. And if you don't leave immediately, then you will be escorted out by my two men."

I remained quiet as I contemplated what to do. I had no doubt that there 'escorted' was code for something much more violent, and though I wished to keep my limbs attached to my body, I also desperately needed to speak with Ivan. So it left me very little choice but to talk to Ivan in front of Mazur. It was not ideal, but an unfortunate necessity.

Having made my decision, I proceeded and addressed Ivan.

"Ivan, I have something you must read, and you need to tell me as much as you know about where they could have gone, if she had hinted towards anything or left a trace of their presence behind."

I reached inside my breast pocket and took out the letter, smoothing out the creases from where I had scrunched it up in my rage. I made the motion to hand it to him, when Mazur suddenly snapped,

"Read it out loud."

"It is a private matter." I spat back, my patience quickly running out with his demands.

"But we are all friends here, what is your business is mine too. If something is troubling you, I'd like to offer my help if possible."

I smiled knowingly, but without a trace of humour. I had no doubt he would wish to help, in the pretence of being good willed. In reality, he would surely use the gesture as a way to make me indebted to him. And I had no wish to be indebted to such a man.

But if this was the only way to draw information from Ivan, then I had no choice. I sent Viktoria out to search Rose's quarters, as she was upset enough without knowing the reason behind Adrian's sudden departure, and proceeded to read.

As I finished reading, I felt my temper rise, and as I looked around the room, I noticed the other men had quickly become outraged.

"That scoundrel! How dare he! Why, I will hunt him myself and rip him to pieces!" Ivan exclaimed, his handsome features contorting with anger, surprising me with the emotional outburst. Though I didn't suppose he and Rose had had a chance to grow close to one another. And it was with a feeling of great shame that I acknowledged the feeling of jealousy that spiked up when considering this.

"Yes, with all ten of your broken fingers" I said sharply. Seeing the shock at my pointed comment, I took a deep breath and tried in a calmer tone, "Be reasonable. Pray tell, do you know anything?" I asked desperately.

He was deep in thought for a moment, before sighing and shaking his head.

"I knew the two of them had spoken in private when he came by with Vika, but that is the extent of my knowledge, I am afraid."

My heart fell, and a wave of despondence and hopelessness consumed me.

I had no leads. This was the best chance I had at gaining any sort of direction.

I sank down into the nearby chair, and buried my head in my hands.

We were too late. They would be long gone by now. I graciously accepted the drink Abe offered to me this time, and relished in the burning sensation at the back of my throat.

He stood by me, and placed a hesitant hand on my shoulder. I looked up through my hands at him in surprise and saw an expression I had never seen on the man before: sorrow.

It confused me greatly, why this news should affect him. And moreover, why he should so willingly display this emotion to me.

When he saw me look at him questioningly, he quickly withdrew his hand and cleared his throat, apparently embarrassed.

"Do not give me that look of pity, Belikov. I have my reasons for being upset, as you apparently do too." He said this last comment with scorn, and it confused me why he should regard me like that. Did it offend him that I was in love with Roza, and her with me?

"Pray tell, whatever reason do you have for being shook by such news?" I asked, my eyes narrowing as I regarded him strangely.

He narrowed his eyes in return and dismissed me with a bat of his hand. "I told you, Belikov. They are my own reasons that is isn't to keep private."

I tried to argue with him, "But-"

He quickly cut me off, "Do you, or do you not wish for my help?" He quirked an eyebrow, and after a moment, I nodded in defeat and let the matter drop for now. I did not need to know his reasons just yet, I would have to find out what he knew first.

"Very good. You are a fast learner, Belikov. I will give you that." He said condescendingly, and I had to bite my cheek to keep from lashing out before I heard what he had to say.

"I believe our best shot is to try Gretna Green. It is a place young couples go when they wish to elope quickly and discreetly. I say we try there first. I am not guaranteeing that she will be there, but it is the best I can offer, at this moment in time."

I mulled it over in my head. It was a long shot, for sure. But seeing as we had nothing else to go on, it was, indeed, our best shot at finding Roza. For the first time since I read the letter, I felt a great sense of hope that we may be able to reach her in time.

I stood up and went to shake Mr Mazur's hand in gratitude, and began to walk out of the room only to be stopped by one of Abe's henchmen.

"Where do you think you are going, Belikov, without me?" Abe said from behind me and I laughed incredulously.

"Why, you do not expect me to let you come with me, do you? Your reasons may be sinister, for all I know.

You are not permitted to accompany me until you tell me your reasons for doing so. " I informed him. No doubt he was not used to being spoken to like this, and I was surprised he had let me go so far.

"Very well, that is no bother to me. I shall pursue her on my own." he shot back, and I scoffed at the notion.

"You and I both know it would be better with us working together. Come now, why are you being so childish about this? And why do you care?" Something suddenly dawned on me, and before I could stop the words from coming out of my mouth, I said, "Are you jealous? Is that it? You wish to be the girl's lover-"

I was cut off as Abe suddenly sprang at me, launching me against the wall, my head smacking against it with a painful snap that soon disorientated me.

"Whatever has possessed yo-" my words were cut off again as Mazur interrupted me, face red with anger.

"Do not ever suggest such a sordid thing! We are all not randy devils seeking her for one thing!"

It was my turn to be outraged now, as I stood up and growled at him. "Then do not accuse me of such a thing too! I love her, with every piece of my being! I could have a cheap affair down at the local brotherly, if I wished to. But I do not! I wish to rescue her because I love her, damnit! I have never loved anyone so passionately, and I never will as long as I live!"

I was breathing heavily by now, my chest rising rapidly as my temper flared up.

Abe just stared at me for a while, as if weighing me up, and whether my words were sincere. Finally, after a moment of silence elapsed, he nodded and straightened his jacket.

"Very well. I shall tell you, and only because I believe you to be a decent and sincere fellow." he said quietly, and I arched an eyebrow as I waited for his revelation.

He sighed and purses his lips, as if the words he was about to utter were so difficult to speak.

And once he said them, I understood why

"Rosemary… she is my daughter."

Gasps of surprise filled the room, and Abe rolled his eyes, as if it was not the big deal we all thought it was.

Indeed though, upon further inspection, I struggled to see how I had missed such an obvious resemblance. They both had the same thick, dark hair, dark eyes and almond complexion. And it was apparent where Rose got her surreptitious side from now. It was inevitable, with a father such as he. I wondered how much of an influence he had in her life, and whether she even knew of his existence.

"Does Rose know?" Ivan asked, stealing the words from my mouth.

Abe winced and shook his head. "For reasons you do not need to know, I did not help raise Rosemary. I left her mother enough money to look after her, and made sure I had my contacts keep a watchful eye on Rose as she grew up."

"You left her? You abandoned your own daughter?!" Ivan exclaimed, "You are even more foul than I first assumed!"

Mazur flinched and whirled around to face him, "Do not ever speak to me like that again. I had my reasons, and they were purely in the best interest for Rose. Do you understand?" His voice was low and menacing, and Ivan's eyes widened and he swallowed harshly, nodding vehemently, "Yes, sir"

Mr Mazur straightened upright and adjusted his tie.

"Very good."

He gestured to the rest of the people attended in the room, "Come gentleman, let us waste no more time."

He led us out into the courtyard, where the carriage was waiting for us to board. There was only to be enough room for the four of us, so with quite a bit of convincing, Mazur finally got rid of his two companions, and stepped into the carriage, not bothering to offer a hand to the rest of us to climb in. Ivan followed, and politely assisted Vika into the carriage, despite the inadequate use of his hands. I was about to step in myself, when something black caught my eye, beneath the wheel of the main carriage. I bed down to pick it up, tucking my hair behind my ear, and let out an exclamation of surprise when I recognised what it was. A shoe.

And not just any old shoe either, it was Roza's.

A lump formed at the back of my throat as I realised she had probably lost it as she had been forced into a carriage of her own, and although it pained me to see such an evident trail of her mistreatment, I kept it close to my person and stepped into the carriage, deciding to keep it to make me all the more determined to find her.

We all sat, huddled in the single carriage. Ivan sat next to Mazur, as far away as possible, might I add, and Vika sat next to me, resting her head on my arm. Ivan had insisted he came along, declaring is love for Roza as a friend. And though he professed it was not a romantic sort of attachment he felt towards her, that familiar pang of jealousy shoot through my heart again.

The carriage was perfectly quiet, almost like the calm before the storm, I thought to myself.

And as it turned out, that observation turned out to be painfully close to what happened next.

"So… will you tell me now why it is you wish to see Adrian also?" Vika asked, and my mouth dried up instantly. I was rather hoping she would leave this be.

"You have not told her?" Abe puzzled, looking at me curiously. I gave a slight shake of my head in negation, and an amused smile stretched upon his face.

"My word! This is simply delicious!" He began laughing as he glanced between the two of us.

"Told me what?" Vika innocently questioned, head switching between the two is us.

I closed my eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

"Your attention is so short that you are seeking some cheap entertainment at the expense of our feelings?" I snapped at Abe, who nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.

"Why, I am an innocent bystander! It is not my fault that you haven't told her that Adrian was engaged to Sonya prior, and that she bore his child in secret. Or that he is currently eloping with Rosemarie against her wishes, and that is why we are chasing him this very night." The words rolled off his tongue before I had a chance to stop them, and Vika shrieked.

"What?! Dimka… what is he saying…. This..t-this can't be true…." She trailed off and stared at me with doleful eyes, tentatively holding onto some shred of hope that Abe was lying.

But my words failed me and my mouth went dry, and pain enveloped me as I witnessed her heart breaking before my eyes.

"Now look what you have done!" I bellowed, gesturing to the wretch of a woman beside me.

Abe let out a sharp laugh and raised an eyebrow.

"You let this happen! You let your foolish emotions get the better of you, and you threw her out of your home. Had she been under your protection, this would never have happened." his expression hardened and is voice was flat and lacking any emotion. I was not to be fooled by his bored expression though. Danger most certainly lurked in those dark murky waters of his eyes, and though the sensible part of me knew he was merely looking for someone to blame, as we did not have Ivashkov yet, the rest of me was extremely perturbed that he could blame this whole affair on me, and claim it was I that had abandoned her when she did not even know he was her father.

And so, perhaps against my better judgement, I lashed out, venom pouring from my tongue.

"And where were you, hmm? If she was under your protection, she would not have suffered through life the way she has done! You left her from birth! Yet you claim it is I who abandoned her?!" I asked incredulously, and he narrowed those shrewd eyes at me in return.

"I would watch that tongue of yours, Belikov. People have lost theirs for saying lesser things." He threatened, and the air instantly cooled. This was the infamous Zmey coming to play now, only I would not back down.

"I shall say what I please! You sit here and lecture me on my love for Roza, when you clearly did not love her enough yourself!" I exclaimed, causing him to bolt from his seat and attempt to stand over me. In natural reaction, I stood up also, my back hitting the roof of the carriage at an awkward and uncomfortable angle.

"That is it, Belikov! You have crossed a line! You dare accuse me of not loving her?!" he roared furiously, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vika wince and attempt to calm me with a light touch on my arm, that I shrugged off violently, and

Jabbed a finger accusingly at Abe.

"You had the money, the resources, the reputation to grant her the life she deserves, yet you did not give it her.

You cannot possibly claim to love her when you treat her with such disregard!" I spat back at him.

We both stood awkwardly hunched in the carriage. What with I lacking the ability to stand straight and use my tall physique to threaten him, and he deprived his lackeys, there was no leverage for either of us to use to dominate the other. And we were very much close to ripping each others' throats out if either of us so much as moved an inch closer to the other.

"ENOUGH!"

A voice boomed from the other side of the carriage. Reverberating and silencing us all.

Abe and I turned our heads to the right of us, where Ivan also stood awkwardly, eyes alight with fury.

"What is the use in this incessant quarreling?! Where will this get us? You, Belikov, shall regret this when the Zmey retaliates and your entire family are dead!" Abe guffawed at this, and I growled, my temper rising again.

"And I don't know why you find this so amusing, Mazur," Abe's laughter quickly died, and his sharp eyes turned on Ivan.

Ivan swallowed, but continued regardless,

"You shall regret this when Belikov pummels you to a pulp and throws you out of this moving carriage! Which he shall, he has the strength and temper!"

Ivan warned, and when nobody seemed to back down he ran a hand through his hair and growled in frustration "This is ridiculous! All this time and energy spent arguing could be used to help is find Rose! Put your male ego aside and think about her. If we lose her to that…. That demon, then it will be on your heads! Collect yourselves, for heaven's sakes! We must band together at a time like this. If not for yourselves than for Rose!"

Ivan was breathing heavily by this point, his nostrils flaring and eyes wild.

I turned back to Abe, who was scrutinising me as if I was a lowly peasant, caught red-handed stealing the Lord's precious jewels.

We stared each other down for a few moments, neither one of us willing to back down, until Abe sighed and fell back into his seat.

He slipped into that cool charade of his, and at down with a carefree expression, crossing his legs over and lighting his potential cigar once more.

"He has a point, Belikov. As much as your words offended me, and I shan't forget them", he said lazily, but I understood the underlying threat in his words all the same, "we must… what is it you sentimental fellows say…. Band together in these hard times. We have not much in common, and as a matter of fact, I simply cannot stand you. But we have one common ground, and one shared aim, and that is to save my little girl. So I suggest that we stop this petulant arguing, and focus on returning her back to us, hopefully without a ring adorning her hand."

I stood there for a moment, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins, and the desire to knock the cocky grin from his face very much overwhelming me. But alas, with a sharp intake of breath to control my anger, I begrudgingly sat down.

He was right. This was solving nothing. I did not have to care for the man or even like him, but for the sake of Roza, I would attempt to keep my feelings in tact and under control.

The carriage fell silent, and as I stared around at my group of supposed saviours, Abe with his narrowed eyes never leaving mine, cigar firmly set in his mouth, Ivan eyeing Vika up and down, his apparent taking to her not being concealed in the slightest, and the girl herself snivelling and shaking with her poor nerves, I could not help but shake my head and close my eyes, fearful that we would never reach her, and she would be lost to me forever.

* * *

 ** _Author's note_**

 ** _Please excuse me if there are any mistakes, I just wanted to get this chapter out there so badly! I had so much fun writing this one, my favourite by far! I just love Abe!_**

 ** _What did you think of the interaction between characters in this chapter?_**

 ** _Please let me know!_**

 ** _I'm sorry it's a bit later than I originally said last time, but I felt the chapter was too rushed, and I had to go back and add some more. And extra 1,500 words, to be precise haha!_**

 ** _Thank you all so much for your unconditional support. When I saw so many reviews and comments, I cried. I really did. I was so unbelievably touched by your love for this story, and your concern for me. I am feeling much better today, and I feel like I have a newfound zeal for this story again! Hurrah!_**

 ** _I think I PM everyone, but if I missed you out, will you let me know? I want to make sure I have thanked everyone :) And a huge thanks to the guest reviewers too._**

 ** _And i have just found out that a man who said he really liked me this past week has slept with another woman a couple of days ago. Urggghhhh. Why can't all men be like Dimitri?_**

 ** _P.s Sky- I made the edit, thank you for pointing it out._**

 ** _All my love,_**

 ** _Emma xxxx_**


	29. Chapter 29

**Rose POV**

"My good Lord, man! This is irrefutably the slowest carriage we could have chosen!" Adrian bellowed and hit his fist on the roof of the carriage. "Faster, I tell you! It would have been quicker had we walked!" He declared, and noticing the sudden acceleration, he leaned back into his seat with a satisfied 'Humph'

I could not help but sneer as I looked at him. The man was a brute. He was conceited, rude and petulant and had only got away with his impudence due to his handsome looks and relative social status.

He lay there still, and I sighed heavily, thankful to have a moment's peace. He had been incessantly roaring for the entire journey, and thus had given me the most dreadful pain at the forefront of my head.

Just as I thought he may have dozed off, his eyes sprang open manically and he roared again, "If you do not hurry up, I will force you onto all fours alongside the horses, and whip you into running this damn thing faster!"

I scoffed at him, and before I thought better, I said, "Whatever is the hurry? There is no way or means for anyone to know where we are. I have not told a soul."

He curled his lips up in a sneer, "Women are so foolish. Gretna Green is a common place for elopement. People must cotton on shortly."

It was my turn to laugh at him in scorn, "Then why in the devil would you direct us there?!" I exclaimed, and laughed when I saw his cheeks blush as I pointed out his stupidity, "And you have the nerve to accuse women of being the foolish ones." I chided, and his lip trembled as he attempted to keep his temper at bay.

"Do you not realise how many Churches would turn us away? The very nature of such an elopement is sordid and pitiful. The Church is hardly welcoming us with open arms."

I smiled at him mockingly, and raised my eyebrows at him, "Sordid and pitiful, you say? You don't half know how to make a woman feel special."

"If I could have had you without all of this hassle, believe me, I would have done. You are nothing but a cheap thrill to me, Little Damsel. I actually rather find your company irksome, to say the least."

"You speak of me with such distaste. Pray tell, why bother to marry me?" I asked, partially to occupy his mind for sometime, lest his shouting add to the dreadful, dull ache at the front of my head, but also due to a slight curiosity on my part.

He seemed to genuinely ponder this for a few moments before meeting my eyes with a cool, detached blankness one could only describe as being similar to that of a murky pond, that shade of dirty green that lacked any signs of vibrancy and life.

"I may as well tell you why I am going to such lengths. For while it is true, you are a handsome woman, that any fellow should desire, your family and lack of grace hardly make you a desirable wife." I snorted at him loudly, and he arched an eyebrow in response, as if I just demonstrated his point exactly.

"You see? Hardly a lady in the making. So that brings about my other reason for wishing to marry you.

Your dear friend Belikov, whom I believe you have grown more than attached to, is a man I seek very much so to destroy."

I sat upright, my heart leaping to life at the mention of the very man who stole it.

"But for whatever reason! He is a sweet, dear man. A generous soul, and unlike another of his social standing!" I exclaimed, and he smirked, some remnants of joy dancing in those dead eyes at provoking a reaction from me.

"But that is where you are wrong. His father was a cruel, perfidious man. And I am not talking about the way he treated his women. In fact, that may be the only thing I respect him for. The way he would use the women around him for his own pleasure, without his wife or other husbands batting an eyelid is quite remarkable. Inspirational, if you must." He stated, a look one could not quite liken to being awe upon his face, and he rolled his eyes at the look of disdain that I did not try to keep hidden from my features.

He continued, "However, his ways with woman was not enough to earn him my respect. He ruined us. My father, the fool, was a man of reasonable reputation and wealth. And it was no secret that Lord Belikov disliked any man who dared challenge his power, unless they pandered to his need, such as the Ozeras were known to do on occasion. This would often come in the form of lending him their wife for the evening, perhaps even their daughter, if she was of age. That was if they were let off lightly. In other instances, the demands would be much higher. Selling off land, people, machinery for pittance, compared to what they were worth. And this is what he asked of our family. A large chunk of land that was ludicrous and unreasonable by anyone's standards. My father, for all of his good ways, was a stubborn man, his pride being his major downfall. And where others had bowed and prayed before Belikov, he stood his ground and refused to pay up. Little did he know how much that would cost us all..." His voice trailed off, and a look I did not recognise crossed his face; one that made him appear human for the first time since I had met him. His features softened, his eyebrows raised slightly, and a faraway look in his eyes gave way to the melancholy he was experiencing as he recounted what happened.

And heaven forbid, for I do not know why I did it, I reached out to touch his arm in a soothing gesture, my heart genuinely filled with some form of sympathy for him. His eyes settled upon me, and for a split second, we were at peace. This was the man behind the beast; the soul within the statue. But just as soon as it came, it departed, and he blinked a few times as if realising where he was, before batting my arm away dismissively.

"I need not your concern, so do not look at me with those pitiful eyes. Yes, that man ruined us. He took everything we had by force, both because we did not comply to his demands, and simply because he took everything from us. Our home, work, money, land and reputation. My mother and father died without a coin to their name, their hearts broken by the cruel way in which their world was destroyed. And thus, I had nothing anymore in this world to drive me. No family, no wealth, no respect from peers. So I set upon the task of ruining the man that ruined us. It took me years to plan everything. I had to change my name, make a living for myself, and find a way to destroy Belikov. And I found a way, too."

He laughed bitterly and shook his head.

"But all of that was irrelevant, in the end. The poor bastard died with a weak heart after all of that meticulous planning. The coward cheated vengeance in death, too. So the only way I can seek my revenge is to target the heir instead. And that is where your dear Dimitri comes into play. He is exactly like his father. Cold, calculating and snobbish. The only difference is, he does not play women the way his senior did, and thus, I cannot hold him even the slightest of my respect."

My heart stopped when I realised the passion and drive this man before me possessed to undo the man that I loved. "You wish to ruin a man for what is perhaps his greatest character strength? The fact that he respects women as his equals?" I asked incredulously, and he chuckled at me.

"Dear, naive, little woman. Don't you see it? He has everything I should have had. The money, the land, the reputation and name. I want all of that. And seeing as that is not possible, I shall strip it away from him. I will gain my satisfaction from bringing another man to his knees."

I buried my head in my hands, unable to believe what I was hearing. The fact that my sweet gentleman, the only man I have ever known to treat me with respect, albeit after a long time, was to be undone because of that very quality was heartbreaking. What was more painful was the fact that I did not know how to get myself out of this mess, that I regretted the decision to leave Dimitri. I thought I was being kind to him, by letting him lead the life he wanted, with a woman of his social calibre that he deserved. When in truth, it was blatantly obvious that I was the thing he desired the most. As Adrian stated, he had the money, the land, the reputation and name to make him a wealthy man. He could have bought the affection of another woman, and chose not to. But what he lacked was that love. The love that I knew I had for him. And by endeavouring to be selfless, I had unwittingly taken away the one thing he didn't have. I took that decision away from him, and the bastard in front to me knew that this entire time.

I stared at the man in front of my between my fingers. That same, disinterested, smug look upon his face. He knew he had succeeded. He had played us all.

I expected to feel some sort of rage towards him. Upset. Hurt. Melancholy. But there was nothing. Only a strange numbness that seemed to shroud me, as if protecting myself from the turmoil of emotions that would hit me if I let my heart feel them.

I lifted my head out of my hands, and when I spoke I barely recognised my own voice, it was so devoid of any emotion.

"It is not the fact that he has money, land or a reputation and name for himself that makes him twice the man you shall ever be. No. It is because he is good. He is loving, compassionate and without a doubt the most selfless man that I have ever met. That is the difference between you and he. And to think that I felt sorrow for you, thinking that your motivations were based on the fact that he ruined your family. Evidently, you are only capable of thinking about yourself."

Whether it was the words I said, or the way in which I spoke them, it seemed to jolt him slightly, and he scoffed at me, as if unable to believe that I wasn't taking his side after he had confided in me.

"It is the fact that he can get what he wants, and I can not! So I will take away the one thing that he desires more than anything else! I will make him see that life is a cruel mistress, one that can only serve to-aarghh!"

His cries cut off the rest of his speech, as the carriage came to an untimely stop, lurching is both forward at an unholy speed.

After a few moments of stunned silence, he appeared to collect himself, and turned to face me, face red from the boiling rage building inside of him

"What in the devil was that?!" He shouted, visibly looking as though he may implode at any moment's notice.

But it was not I that answered him, for instead the coachman piped up with the words I had been dreading since I stepped foot into the carriage;

"We have arrived at your destination, Sir."

* * *

 _ **Author's note**_

Okay. So. This is not my best chapter. I know that. Please go easy on me.

I am sorry for the delay in updating this story. It's been a hard few weeks, and very recently, I did try to take an overdose. Obviously, it wasn't successful, but it did succeed in the sense of giving me the motivation I needed to do the things I enjoyed. One of which was writing.

So this chapter is really just my way of apologising to you all for the delay. It is a bit of a filler, but I did think the plot line needed something a bit more to drive it upon reading it again, hence the backstory.

I am so excited to be back. And these upcoming chapters are where the real action is that.

On that note, please vote in reviews or PMs. Which perspective should I write from? Rose or Dimitri?

Finally, last but not least, I want to say thank you. Reading your comments genuinely made me cry. The love I have received from you all has touched me deeply. I promise to reply to all of your messages, and I also promise that I read each and every single one. Maybe more than the once haha.

All my love, and sincerest apologies,

Emma xxxxx


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